Skipper's Military Days
by 123cosmo4
Summary: It's back! The hit fanfic from 5 years ago returns from the dead. Skipper wasn't always the respected Captain he is today. Skipper does not know what to expect when he joins the military. When a dark enemy targets him, his life changes drastically. Follow Skipper as he goes from lowly private to captain.
1. The Foreigners

Skipper's Military Days

The First of the First stories of Skipper in the military!

Chapter One-The Foreigners

"Oh, cool!" a very young penguin squealed. "Look at them!"

"Shut up," the other one hissed. "They might see us."

Skipper yanked down the head of his friend who was peering over the snow drift they were spying behind. They just discovered something incredible. Skipper and Martin were just playing toboggan down a snowdrift away from their penguin flock when they discovered some very strange penguins. They were not like any others the two had ever seen. There were eight of them and they seemed to be exploring something. They would walk along and observe their surroundings with caution. Skipper decided to spy on these strange penguins to see exactly what they were doing. Unfortunately, he had to take Martin with him. He wasn't very cautious with spying though and could be the end of them.

"They are leaving," Martin whispered. "Let's go."

Martin was just beginning to waddle out of the drift to perfectly expose himself. Skipper quickly yanked him back. "Leave the leadership to me. You will be our downfall. Fall out on my say-so."

Skipper noticed the penguins stop to look around again. He didn't think the eight looked dangerous, just curious. The leader of the penguins was very foreign looking with bluish gray and white feathers. A penguin with blue fur? Skipper was amazed. He was even more amazed with the fact that the leader was covered in dozens of battle scars. He had to be a fearsome warrior! The others looked pretty basic. He saw a penguin about he and Martin's age and could totally relate. The little penguin looked friendly enough.

During this observation, Skipper didn't realize that Martin left his side. He looked to his left frantically. Martin was inching out in the open! Skipper gasped with horror and pounced on his friend. They both thudded in the snow.

The youngest penguin of the group stopped and listened. Skipper quickly rolled them both back into the snow drift.

"Private, keep up," the leader ordered.

"Shh," the private said warily. "I think I hear something." He pulled out a notebook and scribbled something down. "According to my calculations, it came from behind that drift."

"Hmm," the leader moaned like it was the most totally natural thing in the world. "Better scope it out. Fall out."

When Skipper looked out from the snow drift the penguins were gone. Where did they go? They couldn't just disappear…Then there was a flash of black and white and Skipper felt something knock him in the side with force. He fell over and landed in the soft snow. The young penguin that detected him was now on top of him. He was too stunned to move as the private tried to pin him down. He wouldn't give up that easily though. He rolled over to the side quickly and jumped to his feet. The private held a very awesome battle stance and prepared for attack. Skipper glanced over at Martin for help, but he was just watching from the safety of the snow drift.

"Bring it on!" Skipper challenged the young penguin.

He was about to attack when the penguin pulled out a notebook and a pencil. He was scribbling something down while Skipper watched with curiosity.

"..and if I carry the four and I can find the square of-"

"Ah-hem."

"I can then detect the movement of my opponent based on star map and Aztec origin-"

"Ah-hem!"

The private looked up from his notebook. His topaz eyes glittered with annoyance. "Can I help you?"

"You're a dork," Skipper answered rudely. "I thought we were fighting."

"Yes, KOWALSKI!" a fierce voice thundered. "I thought you were fighting too."

Skipper took a step back when he saw the leader penguin from earlier appear along with the whole team. He looked quite scary up close and he wanted to retreat. He heard Kowalski, strange name, whine and shy away slightly.

"What were you doing, Kowalski?" he ordered unpleasantly. "You have to fight like you are trained to do, soldier."

"Sorry, TJ," he whimpered. "I just…had to make some calculations."

The leader, TJ, softened up when he noticed how guilty and sorry Kowalski was. That made Skipper feel a little less scared. Now would be the perfect time to flee but something kept him in place.

"That's fine, Kowalski," TJ said gently. "But I expect some fighting next time we are under attack soldier."

Kowalski saluted TJ loyally.

You're under attack?" Skipper asked, drawing complete attention to himself.

"Shut up, Skipper," Martin whimpered from the drift.

_Coward,_ Skipper thought. The team was now looking at him carefully. He showed no fear and sought only an answer for his question. He felt so brave when he actually took a few steps toward them.

"What were you doing hiding out in that snow drift?" TJ demanded.

"What are you doing in my home?" Skipper shot back with a voice of confidence.

TJ and the second in command penguin exchanged glances. Skipper winced with fright when he saw that the penguin only had a right eye and a red mark where the left should be. He backed up a few steps before he accidently tripped and fell.

_Oh no! _he thought._ What did I just do? I should just lay here._

And he did just that. He waited until everyone gathered over him, even scary eye.

"Problem, little penguin?" the scary penguin asked coolly.

"Well…"He decided to tell it like it was. "You just caught me off guard, that's all. You know, since…yeah."

The penguin glanced at TJ coldly. Skipper felt like he was going to puke when the leader said "He's all yours, Lieutenant."

Then everyone backed up except the scary lieutenant. Skipper shakily stood up and whimpered pathetically. The lieutenants single eye glittered with challenge and the look that said "Hey, pipsqueak. I'm going to rip out your stuffing."

"I…uh…"

He looked around for a way to retreat, but the circle wouldn't allow him to. He was trapped in a circle alone with creepy scary- eye over here. He was about to be attacked.

"Bring it on, little penguin," he growled.

Skipper found himself glancing at pathetic little Kowalski for help. He just shrugged and said "Nice knowing you."


	2. The Challenge

Chapter Two-An Unexpected Attack

Skipper was rigid with fear. He glanced at Kowalski for help, but the young Private just shrugged helplessly. Skipper knew he was no match for the Lieutenant. Well, this was the end. He just stood there and was easy prey for his opponent. There had to be a way out of this.

Then he noticed something. He was too busy spying to notice it before. Skipper swallowed an ice block when he saw a hole in the thick ice they were standing on. That meant only one thing: leopard seal. The seals were dangerous predators that hunted penguins. Every second here causing recon was sure danger. His eyes were locked on the hole in the ice and his heart pounded. They had to leave.

He stopped looking at the ice and looked back up. He saw one-eye creepy freakazoid standing only about two inches from him. Skipper was immediately pushed to the ground. The Lieutenant's flipper was over Skipper's throat and tightening. He gasped for air and tried to push it off, but he was way too strong for the young penguin. He glanced back at Kowalski who was watching nervously. Skipper's pleading eyes begged Kowalski to say something. Kowalski shook his head no, but Skipper was persistent. Finally, Kowalski decided to say something. What Skipper didn't know that also was an advantage was that, being a private, he was Frankenstein's apprentice.

"Austin, maybe you shouldn't…"

"Shouldn't what?" pressed the Lieutenant and didn't loosen the slightest bit on poor Skipper.

"Shouldn't…put so much pressure on the soft tissue of the throat."

"No, this little guy doesn't care," Austin said in return and tightened on Skipper who was now whining with the fact that he could possibly choke to death. "What are you looking at? Ice?"

Skipper had a response, but he couldn't answer. They were in DANGER. Austin finally loosened his grip slightly so Skipper could answer.

"Seals," he wailed. "We have to leave."

Austin seemed confused. "What's a seal?"

He couldn't even believe that. Every penguin knew what a seal was! The whole lot of them seemed confused. Not even the smart intelligent Kowalski knew. TJ was equally confused.

"Whatever a seal is, I'm sure we can take it," Austin pointed out.

That was when it happened. There was a crack in the ice followed by the vibrations from under the ice. Skipper was so scared that he struggled frantically. Austin was no longer paying attention to him and he was able to slip away to Kowalski. They all looked at each other frantically, wondering what to do. Then in front of them the ice exploded and a giant creature appeared. Skipper had never seen one so close. It was far bigger than all the penguins put together and its eyes were fixed on them: the prey. They had never seen a seal before and were confused.

"Attack!" TJ ordered.

"W-what?" Skipper exclaimed.

What were they doing? They were no match for the seal. The best thing to do was to flee as fast as they could, not fight it. Unfortunately, all the penguins agreed with TJ. They all circled the seal and their fighting style was something Skipper had not yet seen. Kowalski tried to move towards the others, but Skipper yanked him back.

"Stay here," he said. "It is suicide!"

"I have to," Kowalski replied loyally. "TJ is the Captain."

Then Kowalski was gone. Skipper stood back and watched the team circle the seal who was trying to single out a penguin. Oh, he couldn't believe this was happening. They would be torn to shreds in a matter of minutes.

All of a sudden the leopard seal struck out at one of the soldiers, grabbed her, and tossed her aside like she was an old toy. She was tossed across the ice and quickly rose again. The others decided to attack. Captain TJ and Lieutenant Austin both sprang at the seal's back while it lumbered after the others. They jumped away lightly while their leaders went in. Skipper just watched with amazement. They were using some fighting style he had never seen before and it was amazing. They weren't has helpless as he thought.

The seal flipped around suddenly and through off TJ and Austin. They landed swiftly on their feet and leaped nimbly away. They stayed together and a far distance from the others. They were not very strong with their attacks. They thought they could take on such a big enemy, but they couldn't. It was way too big for a group of penguins. They would come in and do harmless attacks and then retreat, repeating over and over. All that effort was no good and it was still trying to get them. It kept trying to get Austin and TJ instead of the others. That didn't work and the seal was not as dumb as it seemed. It squared up to the two of them and prepared to attack them again. They were as ready as anything until the seal whirled around and lunged right for the five penguins watching and being a distraction. They screamed with terror and tried to escape. One penguin did not though. The seal lifted its head carrying a prize in its mouth: Kowalski. He dangled helplessly and tried to free himself. It was no use.

"Kowalski!" Skipper wailed helplessly.

Austin and TJ heard Skipper's worthless wailing and saw the poor Kowalski dangling from the seal's massive jaws. Before TJ could think, Austin quickly jumped to the rescue of his poor apprentice. The seal quickly lifted a fin and swatted him right out of the air like a useless fly. He landed on the ground roughly and staggered to get up. The seal was completely focused on them so they couldn't rescue Kowalski. Skipper knew this was life and it happened all the time, but he never thought he would see a seal prey on a penguin in his lifetime. Any second the seal would crunch down and break Kowalski's back like an icicle. He would probably fail, but he really liked the young penguin and had to do something.

_Kowalski, you better love me for this!_

Skipper mindlessly pounced on the seal's head. It flinched with shock and tried to shake him off. He clung on as tight as he could. The seal tried hard to throw him off and he thought the tips of his wings would surely break off if he held on any tighter. He glanced down at Kowalski who was too stunned to do anything. He had to get the seal to let go, but how? HOW?

Then Skipper's left wing slipped off the seal's head and the force made him let go. He was falling off. He desperately reached out to grab something…anything. He managed to find something and held on to it as tight as he could. It was Kowalski's flipper. They both swung around wildly, wailing with terror. There was no help for them now. They were surely done when the thought to be heavy ice cracked. It was just a little crack at first, not enough to do anything. Then it burst from under them and they plunged into the water. Skipper was pulled under the water and the shock of the cold almost made him let Kowalski go. He couldn't let go no matter what. If he did now, Kowalski would be done for.

Luckily, the water also shocked the seal a little and its grip loosened on Kowalski. Skipper took advantage of that and yanked Kowalski free from the seal's grasp. The stunned penguin made no attempt to swim and began to go down. Skipper rolled his eyes, grabbed Kowalski, and swam for both of them to the surface. They leaped out of the water and landed safely on the ice. The rest of the team was already waiting for them. Skipper jumped up quickly, always ready for more while Kowalski carefully got up.

"It's gone," Skipper panted breathlessly. "No more problem."

"Kowalski, you okay?"

The sweet female penguin the seal tossed across the ice already followed her instinct of checking Kowalski over. Luckily, the seal didn't even puncture his skin and he seemed fine and dandy. Kowalski smile shyly at her attention and then joined her to the team.

_Maybe all of them aren't jerks after all, _Skipper thought.

"That was amazing," TJ praised Skipper and sounded like he really meant it. "You rescued Kowalski when the rest of us couldn't."

"It's a seal," he replied. "The most dangerous predator around here next to the whales. Anyway, fighting it was kind of a dumb idea."

"You're right, pipsqueak," TJ replied. "I have never seen such heroism from such a little penguin. You took action and knew what to do."

Skipper was so flattered. Apparently the leader of a penguin military was praising him for what he did. It was incredible and he swelled with pride.

"What's your name, little recruit?" TJ asked.

"Skipper," he replied. "Why do you need to know?"

"Just to remember you by. Thanks for the help. Come on, team. We really need to get back to base."

Well, that was it. All the penguins turned away from him like he didn't matter anymore. When they wanted to know his name, Skipper expected them to say something totally different like "What's your name, big strong heroic savior? We need you to join our military." How stupid was he? He felt like wailing when they began to leave him behind. They were the most fascinating penguins he ever met and now they were abandoning him.

When he thought all hope was lost, Kowalski said something to Austin he couldn't hear. Austin nodded with approval and then Kowalski tobogganed back to Skipper who now felt a flicker of hope.

"I know the odds of you saving me were like…58.753 to one and I really appreciate your help," Kowalski said generously. "I kind of felt like we were abandoning you and I was just making sure we left with something, you know."

"Sure," Skipper agreed. "Even though you're a nerd."

"Yeah, everyone says that," Kowalski replied, taking some offense.

"But I like you. Friends?"

"Yeah. Friends."

Skipper raised a flipper and waited for a high five. Kowalski just stared blankly.

"It's a high five, brainy. You're supposed to slap me back."

"Oh…I get it."

Kowalski and Skipper high fived to present their friendship. Then Kowalski left to catch up to his own kind. Skipper just stared after them with longing. They were just so…cool. Everyone one of them were like this military force and took on every problem head on. At first he thought they were invader jerkfaces, but they were so much more than that. He wished that he could be Kowalski and see how they lived. They were much better than his own colony of cowards who met absolutely nothing to him. All they cared about was watching out for seals. Martin proved the point by retreating and leaving Skipper to fend for himself. These penguins had a purpose in life and he wanted to seek that purpose more than anything.

_What's stopping you?_

Skipper couldn't leave behind these penguins just yet. Staying far enough out of sight, he began to follow them. He wanted to see exactly what their home base was.


	3. Military Suicide

"Oh…wow."

Skipper followed the team for miles and never exactly knew where they were going to. What was _their base?_ Was it a snowdrift or something? It was quite the opposite though. It was a HUGE ship. That must explain how the penguins got there. It was bigger than a whale and was incredible. He made sure they all disappeared inside before coming in closer. He walked right up to the entrance and stared up at it.

The Well Deserved. The ship couldn't have a better name. HE had to get inside somehow. This was only the outer corner of an entire ship. The colony was probably worried about him, but what did that matter. He had a ship to explore. Then again, what if they caught him? Would they be mad? Truthfully, he didn't care. HE almost got devoured by a seal and got into a fight with the Lieutenant and he was afraid of_ this?_ Military officials didn't fear anything. He braced himself before walking inside. He walked up the giant ladder that led to the door and reached the top. The door was left open a crack and he didn't hear anything going on inside. Skipper moved the door slowly. Then, it creaked. It creaked so loud that he almost had to dive for cover. When it quickly silenced, he froze and listened carefully. He didn't hear anything or see the shadows of approaching penguins on the hallway walls. It was big enough to squeeze through so he got in. He made it this far and was very proud of that. Now…where were they?

Skipper wasn't quite sure where to go. He walked down the hallway and pressed himself to the wall. He walked along for a long time until he wasn't quite sure where he was. This ship was so huge that he got lost in it. Now…he found a room. The door was tightly closed and he was aware not to open it. He stood up tall and peered through the window. That explained why he never ran into anyone. All eight of them were sleeping. There were eight neat bunks carved into the wall and a penguin curled up in each one. They didn't look that comfortable, but maybe that was a military thing. He wanted to go inside, but that was a screwball idea. They would probably wake up. Well…then again, they WERE asleep after all. HE couldn't hide out forever. He wanted to join them more than anything and how could he join if he never existed? What if they took this ship and left in the morning? Nothing could be worse than that. He tried to open it slightly and flinched, waiting for it to squeak. It didn't and opened nice and silently. He carefully placed one foot in the room

_BEEP! BEEP!_

Skipper leaped back in horror when he set off the alarm. Infra red trap. Of course. Before he could move, a giant plastic crate fell from the ceiling and caged him inside. He just _had_ to open the stupid door and come in.

The penguins' eyes shot open and they sprang out of their beds. They formed a perfect military row in front of the cage. Skipper backed to the back of the little cage and wished he could melt into the floor.

"Skipper!" Kowalski exclaimed joyfully. "What are you doing here?"

"That's a great question, Skipper," TJ added and narrowed his eyes. "What are you doing in our base? The one that you intruded on without our permission. The one that you tried to spy on?"

"I'm starting to get annoyed by this little stalker," Austin said to TJ. "Just throw him out."

"Don't do that," Kowalski pleaded.

All eyes were on Kowalski. "I think he was just curious where we came from or something, right Skipper?"

"Yeah. That's what happened."

He tried to lift the crate but it was useless. He wondered how long they would leave him in here for. Kowalski made a move to help him, but Austin held out a wing to stop him. Kowalski really was a true friend.

"You seem interested in us," TJ continued. "Why is that? Don't you want to go to your own home instead of…well…ours?"

_Tell them! You have been rehearsing this for an hour. Just say it now._

_"_Did you ever think that perhaps he wants to join our military?" the female penguin suggested.

TJ shook his head with disappointment and pulled her closer to him. "Oh, Lyla, what am I ever going to do with you? That is the craziest thing I have ever heard. You seriously think this little penguin could EVER become one of us?"

"I didn't see you rescue Kowalski," she answered smartly.

"Um, well… Oh. Whatever. The point is, he won't want to join our elite force."

"Actually, that is why I'm here," he replied meekly. "I…do want to become part of your military."

"Hmm…" TJ was really thinking about it! Austin seemed so shocked that the captain was even thinking about letting him join. "You seriously think you have what it takes?"

"Yes," Skipper answered with much needed confidence. "I do."

"He won't last two hours with us," Lieutenant Austin protested. He surely didn't want Skipper in the military with a passion.

"We will see about that," TJ decided. "Welcome to the group, new private."

Skipper could barely believe it. Only one visit to the ship and now he was the private of this military team. He was just like Kowalski now. He didn't need to envy Kowalski anymore. He caught on from the previous actions and saluted TJ loyally. He felt like life had meaning again.

"Well, new recruit, get some shut-eye," TJ said and lifted the crate off his head. "We will find out how you survive tomorrow. Your first training day."

"Okay…Training for what?"

"Combat of course," TJ replied and slapped him on the back. "We are trained for life and death service, young private. You must always be prepared for battle. We start in the morning."

A few of the penguins congratulated him for getting in and then followed TJ to their bunks. Kowalski was bouncing excitedly around Skipper and they happily high fived.

"You got in!" squealed Kowalski. "I can't believe you actually came here. You are a private just like me and the odds of that are…I don't even know."

"Um…yeah this seems cool and all," Skipper agreed. "You go to bed this early at night?"

"Of course. We have to get up early in the morning. I hope we can train together tomorrow. It will be so fun."

"I bet it will. So…how does training work exactly? What do we do?"

"According to some backround knowledge and past experiences, I predict there is a probable chance we will be doing fitness warm-ups. Trust me, they are not pleasant but they are required from all new recruits. We better get to sleep."

Kowalski leaped into his bunk and burrowed into the covers. Skipper watched from a distance and realized something. There wasn't a bunk for him.

"Oh, I forgot there is a shortage now that you came," Kowalski offered generously. "Here, take my bed. I don't mind sleeping on the floor."

"Don't bother," Skipper replied. "I can sleep on the floor just fine."

"Soldiers, present!"

In only a matter of seconds, all the soldiers stood in a perfect military row in front of their leader, saluting him loyally. He looked at everyone down the row until he reached the end. One soldier was missing…one private to be exact. He glanced over at the corner and saw Skipper buried in the blankets and pillows on the floor.

"I'll handle this," he said casually.

TJ was definitely prepared for this. He already had a nice bucket of ice water sitting out. He picked it up and dumped it all over Skipper. His eyes shot open with alarm and he cowered against the wall with shock.

"What'd I do?" he whimpered so his voice cracked.

"Wake up, private!" TJ ordered. "There is no lolly-gagging in the military. Now is training time for you and Kowalski while the rest of us go scouting. Austin, train the apprentices for me while I lead the scouting partrol."

Austin nodded. Skipper was so cold he curled up in a ball for warmth. No, this couldn't be happening. The other penguins were _leaving_ meaning he had to stay with Mr. Halloweentown here. It couldn't be so bad. Kowalski would bear it with him. First, it started easy. The three of them watched the others leave the ship. Once the door closed, Austin turned on them.

"Give me 20!"

Skipper had no idea what to do. He watched as Kowalski threw himself to the ground and began doing perfect push-ups. Strange exercise and Skipper copied. He tried going down a little at first until he was even with Kowalski. Kowalski was shaking and this was effort for him, but to Skipper this was plain easy. He finished long before Kowalski and felt proud. Was this the worst the military had to offer?

"Tired yet?" Austin wondered with amusement.

"No," he answered honestly.

"20 more then. Both of you."

Skipper shrugged. Kowalski gave him a hateful look and then they kept going. They reached 40 and Kowalski was practically dying on the floor. Skipper wasn't tired yet. He must be really good at this if he was succeeding over Kowalski.

"Kowalski, this is pathetic," Austin pointed out hurtfully. "I want to see more, man!"

"More!" Kowalski whined.

"Yes, more. Skipper here is doing much better than you."

Austin's praise felt like a medal to Skipper. He rolled over and breathed deeply. Kowalski was dying next to him, trying to do more push-ups. Of course Skipper felt sorry for poor little Kowalski, but apparently the war between them was over and Austin was treating him with the same respect as he did for Kowalski. Finally, they finished with that.

"I hate you," Kowalski growled, even though he didn't mean it.

Austin was way ahead of the game. He beckoned them to follow him outside and on to the deck. The ship was so long that they could barely see the other side. The stopwatch he carefully toyed with was not a good sign according to Kowalski.

"Other side and back," he ordered. "Go!"

Skipper followed Kowalski. They jumped down and slid on their bellies to cover more distance and would leap up and jump again when they slowed down. It seemed to take forever until they reached the other side and then made it back again. The stopwatch clicked and they finished at the same time .They were both equally good at this. They stopped with relief.

"What are you two marshmallows doing?" Austin thundered at them. "I need to see fifteen more right now."

They were so scared that they bolted off without question. 15? Forget the thoughts from earlier, Austin was trying to kill them. Of course, according to Kowalski, this was perfectly normal.

"You do this every day?" panted Skipper.

"Pretty much," he replied. "I think it is worse since you are with me. These stupid exercises are to make us more fit."

The suicides couldn't have a better name. By the time they finished, they were so tired that the collapsed on the floor wheezing. AT least they were finished now. Both privates felt like jelly and wanted to lay there all day. Skipper buried himself in s snow drift to cool off. Austin disappeared for a while until they were recovered. He returned effortlessly carrying two cinder blocks and ice water for the dehydrated apprentices. They sucked down their water gratefully and almost gagged up their water when a cinder block was dropped in front of them. They looked so light when Austin carried them, but Skipper couldn't even lift it off the ground. Kowalski tried too, but got no better success.

"Those cinder blocks aren't going to push themselves. Take these blocks to…" Skipper and Kowalski looked up slowly. "Up the mast and to the top."

"We can't do that," Skipper whined. "We can't even lift them."

"Figure it out," Austin answered boredly. "Get going."

Kowalski and Skipper exchanged glances and then tried to move their blocks. They could scoot them easy enough across straight ground, but climbing the mast? That was straight up and like a million feet up in the air. They reached the mast and just stared up at it.

"Kowalski, options."

Kowalski tried to scribble out a solution on a notebook. "Well, we are at a 90 degree angle and these blocks way about 20.25 pounds each so we can't chuck them…I don't know. For once in my life, I don't know."

Kowalski was right about that. They couldn't life the blocks with their wings, but perhaps if they had some help. Skipper sparked an idea when he saw some rope in a pile. He picked it up and studied the length. IT was sturdy and long. He tied an end to the cinder block and the other end around himself. Now perhaps he would be strong enough to climb the mast and take the block without impossible effort.

"Great idea, Skipper," Kowalski said brightly and did exactly what Skipper did. They were ready to climb.

They pounced on the mast and began to climb up without effort. Once their ropes ran out of slack they tried to pull up their blocks. Skipper began to shake with effort and was too tired to go on. He searched for something to grab on to and just hung there for a few moments before going on. He was going very slowly, but he still was making some progress. It took what seemed like hours but he made it halfway. He looked back and noticed Kowalski was WAY down there. He was slowly sliding down the pole. Perhaps Kowalski, the weakest link, could use a little help. Leaving his cinder block on the halfway point, he inched down the pole after Kowalski.

"I can't do it," he panted tiredly. "Help me out?"

"Sure. I like team players."

While Kowalski pulled it like a sled dog, Skipper pushed it from behind and the effort was much easier. They made it to the halfway point and took a break. Then they moved on. Skipper finally saw the top right ahead and heaved himself and the cinder block up. He had to pull Kowalski up, but they both made it.

Austin watched them from below. Skipper was so proud of himself for doing so great at this. He was a natural.

"You can come down now," he decided. "And take those cinder blocks with you."

Fitness exercise was terrible and grueling, but they finally made it through. After the cinder block climb they had to dig trenches in the snow outside. They practically dug to the center of the earth before they were allowed to stop. Finally, they came back on the ship deck. Obviously, Skipper's trench was much deeper than Kowalski's. The exercises and torture was enough to make anyone want to leave the military, but Skipper liked it. Every new job was another task that Skipper could ace and look great.

"You two feel like jelly yet?" Austin asked the two wheezing apprentices lying on the floor.

"Uh-huh," Kowalski wheezed.

"We don't have time to waste. You two stop taking a dirt nap because it is time for the real training to begin."

"Uh…okay," Skipper and Kowalski moaned and slowly rose to their feet.

All of a sudden Austin growled with annoyance and leaped on them. They were thrown down to the ground and he pinned down both of them at the same time. They squirmed to get up but he effortlessly kept them down.

"Pathetic," Austin insulted them. "Simply pathetic. You two zeros need to be prepared for attack, not whine like kittens."

_What's a kitten?_ Skipper thought.

"The first thing every soldier needs to know is how to escape being pinned down," he instructed them. "Kowalski, you clearly already know this. If I was an enemy…well…let's just say I would of sliced out your throats by now and you two would have been too lazy to do anything about it."

Skipper and Kowalski shuddered with disgust and finally got up. They waited for instruction while tensed up in case they were surprise attacked again.

"Nothing is better than a demonstration," Austin pointed out. "Skipper, attack Kowalski."

"You want me to…attack," Skipper confirmed unsurely.

"That's what I said, isn't it? Kowalski is way more experience than you so you should learn a little something from a real fight."

"We have never done this before," Kowalski said and made sure to write that down. "Is there a reason for this change of chain reaction?"

"That's insubordination, soldier. You very well know why. Because of that pathetic little 'attack' on the ice yesterday. When Skipper tries to pin you down, just do what you're trained to do."

"Sorry to be insubordinate, but Skipper probably doesn't know what to do."

_Thank you,_ Skipper thought gratefully.

"Then Skipper is perfect for you," Austin insulted. "Unless you want to fight me."

"On second thought, Skipper is perfect."

_Oh, what to do?_ Skipper had no idea how to assault anyone. Kowalski was already waiting for him to attack and he was going to get smoked without a doubt. _Use your instincts, Skipper. Just use your instincts. Maybe Kowalski will turn on the old think melon again and you will have a chance._

Kowalski's topaz eyes were locked on him and waited for him to react somehow. He looked directly above Kowalski's head and stepped forward with fake interest like there was really something up there worth looking at. This time Kowalski was in his eye sight so this wouldn't turn out like the little epidemic out on the ice. Kowalski was a bit interested and looked up. Skipper took advantage of that just like Lieutenant Austin took advantage of him. He bowled right into Kowalski and they landed on the floor. Kowalski suddenly flipped up so Skipper flew off. Before he even landed Kowalski went for him again. He quickly rolled to the side and retreated a few steps. He was completely relying on instincts and wasn't even thinking about his smart actions. Kowalski shot out and jabbed him repeatedly everywhere until he lost balance. While retreating back, Skipper now was ready for Kowalski's jabbing attacks. He reached out, snatched his opponent's flipper and threw Kowalski on the ground. He tried to pounce on Kowalski while he struggled to get up, but apparently that was exactly what he wanted. He flipped up suddenly and then, before Skipper could even think, he was thrown to the ground by Kowalski. The fight was over and Kowalski let him go.

"Great use of instinct you two," Austin complimented them. "And you, Skipper, just became a private and you are equally matched to Kowalski. You have been succeeding in everything we have done today. A true prodigy."

"Nice," Kowalski agreed.

The two of them high fived again. Skipper knew he was good at this, but no prodigy. Then again, he didn't expect to win a fight anyway. He was lucky to survive so long though. This was a torturous life to those who didn't think of the rewards, but this was great to Skipper. He could imagine the compliments he would get from TJ and the rest of the gang when they saw how great he was getting along. He had a feeling that all these exercises were just to see how long he would stay before running home. Well, Skipper was still here and planned on staying.


	4. Assault

Chapter 4-Assualt

Skipper and Kowalski were very tired after training together. They went to bed early, before the sun even set. Since the others were gone, Skipper got a bunk this time. They plopped down in their beds like cold turkeys and curled up under their covers.

"I have never been so overworked in my whole life," Skipper moaned.

"Eh, you will get used to it," Kowalski assured him. "It is normal training for me."

"Does Mr. Halloweentown train you all the time?" he wondered. "And not someone less rough like Lyla."

"Oh, Austin isn't that scary, Skipper," he replied annoyed. "Only the captain and the lieutenant are allowed to train privates. Though I do agree, Lyla is very nice."

"So how long have you stayed here in Antarctica?" Skipper questioned. "All of you guys seem so foreign. I have never seen penguins here before."

"A few weeks. We came here on duty to make sure there are no enemy troops taking refuge here."

"Enemies? What kind of enemies are you talking about?"

"Well…I guess you should know who our top enemy is," Kowalski decided and peered down at the bottom bunk. "We are tracking down enemies. They are this group of ex-military penguins that we were sent to track down. They are the Southern Raiders or so I hear. They are nothing but a problem and we are sent to eliminate them."

Skipper perked up with interest. "But why? What is wrong with them?"

"Well, I don't know much," he admitted. "TJ and Austin won't tell me and…well…the others won't either for that matter. I hear that they are trying to take over the WORLD. We have been tracking them down all over the world actually. We followed them here but I don't think they are here. The team has went out scouting every day for weeks and they found nothing."

"That's incredible. I wasn't sure what you guys trained for and now I know we are training for a purpose. So you have been all over the world?"

"Um…only a few countries actually," Kowalski answered.

Skipper thought about Kowalski's words in silence. He had no idea that the penguin team had an arch enemy they were tracking all across the world. He was actually part of it and could already imagine himself fighting them in the future. Such a great future…Wait a minute. They traveled all over the world. That meant that he would have to leave Antarctica probably for a long time. Was this worth it?

He glanced up at Kowalski. Yes, it was definitely worth it.

The door to the sleeping quarters opened and the returning scouts filed in. Skipper leaped up suddenly and expected to be drowned in ice water. Instead, the team didn't even seem to notice them. He layed down and just watched.

"How did the privates do, Lieutenant?" ordered TJ.

"I do say, that knew recruit, Skipper, has outstanded me in more ways than one. I have never trained such a prodigy."

TJ and Austin turned to look at Skipper. He quickly closed his eyes and pretended to be asleep. Kowalski really was so he was pretty real looking.

"He is already better than Kowalski at nearly everything. He is stronger and more capable of doing the basic exercises they did today."

"What exactly did you make them do?" TJ pressed.

"Push-ups, suicides, trench digging, and taking cinder blocks to the mast. Skipper succeeded in everything, even in battle training. He just started and is almost equally matched with Kowalski. Well, that isn't saying much actually."

"I knew I made a good choice with that little recruit," TJ said proudly. "Anyway, I have some other news. We need to leave right away. We saw the Southern Raiders from a hill. They are already out at sea and are heading north. We need to as well. Everything is ready to go."

"Should I wake the apprentices?" Austin asked.

"No. They will find out when they wake up."

The crew gathered around their captain for instructions. Skipper watched with curiosity. They were leaving today. No more Antarctica. That was a good thing. No more ice and snow.

"Dave, you man the ship," TJ ordered. "We leave now."

The crew left leaving the sleeping quarters empty. Skipper still felt like a dollop of Daisy, but now he was too interested in what was going on to sleep. He swiftly slipped out of his bunk and into Kowalski's who was still fast asleep.

"Kowalski! Brainatron, wake up!"

Skipper shook Kowalski by the shoulders until his topaz eyes flew open and he jumped back with alarm.

"Hey, guess what I just heard?" Skipper exclaimed and stole most of Kowalski's bunk, banishing him to a corner. "Well, for a start, I overheard Austin tell TJ some nice things about me."

"Uh-huh," Kowalski murmured uncaringly and tried to get back to sleep.

"Hey!" Skipper slapped him for some focus. Kowalski jumped up and tried to leave the bunk, but Skipper barred his way. "That's not all. We are leaving right now. I heard TJ say that we were all leaving. They found the Southern Raiders and we are following them out to sea."

"Oh, cool," said Kowalski. "According to my calculations, we have been here exactly 318 hours and we need to get going. Where are we going?"

"Somewhere up north according to TJ. What are we still doing in bed? Let's go."

They jumped out of bed and headed up to the deck with everyone else. It was dark outside and the weather was perfect for sailing. They went to the very front of the boat and looked over the edge with fascination. The ship slowly began to move, taking Skipper away from Antarctica, probably forever.

"Kowalski," Skipper moaned.

Kowalski quickly carried Skipper to the bow and draped him over the edge. Skipper spewed for probably the eighth time. He had no idea ships were so rough and rumbly. He gorged on a bunch of fish and was now hacking it all back up.

" You okay, dude?" asked Kowalski and pulled him back on the deck where he collapsed the moment Kowalski let go. "You look terrible. Then again, sea sickness is common among those who consume large amounts and have little ship riding experience."

"Oh…Kowalski."

"Ugh." Kowalski returned Skipper to the edge of the bow and waited. HE was getting pretty bored tending to Skipper's puking needs. He stared out over the cold Antarctic water with boredom. They had been on the ship for four hours. Then Kowalski noticed something that was just sliding into view. It was very dark, but he could see a light. Perhaps it was just a trick of the light that sometimes happened this far down south. He kept staring at the faint light and it was very unusual. He pulled out his trusty pencil and loyal notebook and tried to write down all the possibilities of what it could be. He stared at it for minutes until it seemed to be growing. Maybe he should tell TJ or somebody. They would probably just say he was thinking nonsense.

The light was getting closer…He decided to go tell someone. There was no one else on deck that could see it except Skipper who was about to puke his guts out.

"I'm going to check something," Kowalski decided. "Just try not to puke until I get back, okay?"

Kowalski abandoned Skipper and went straight to the control center inside. He peeked in the window and saw Dave driving the ship, but he looked very…distracted. Well, no wonder. The rest of the crew (that said they were doing important maintenance) were playing Stomp the Wombat. He hesitated before barging in. The moment he did the penguins hot-potatoed their cards to TJ who quickly tried to hide all the cards.

"Hello, Private," TJ greeted guiltily. "Um…we were just checking the cards for…um…

"Whatever," Kowalski interrupted. "I just found something weird that I need you to see. Outside."

TJ rolled his eyes and slowly tended to Kowalski's need like it was a huge burden. "Where is this little nightmare?"

"Right there. That light."

Kowalski pointed out the window at the direct light. TJ squinted to see it at first and then he just stared at it like it was the most important thing in the world. Then he jumped up and roughly pushed Kowalski away. He fell to the ground and stared after TJ with hatred.

"Hey!" he whined. "That wasn't nice."

"Austin! Get over here!"

The two of them tried to look out of the periscope at the same time, trying to push each other away to get a better look.

There was no warning, just a terrible whistling that started quiet and then got louder. BOOM! There was a loud crash and then the ship rocked so hard that all the penguins were thrown off their feet. Kowalski was so stressed and had no idea what was happening. The other sure did.

"Brace yourselves, team!" TJ shouted in a panicked tone. "We are under attack!"


	5. Part 2: The Hidden Island

Part 2- The Hidden Island

Hey guys, here is the next chunk of Skipper's military days! What Kowalski saw is real, and tragedy happens when the Southern Raiders bomb the Well Deserved. When Skipper becomes affiliated with the leader of the Southern Raiders, he will realize the force he chose to fight was far darker than he could have expected.


	6. Confrontation with the Southern Raiders

Episode 2: The Hidden Island

Chapter 1: The Southern Raiders

WARNING: This story may contain material that is disturbing to some viewers. Viewer discretion is advised.

The something that hit the water slammed into it with such force that the whole ship rose and then fell back in the water roughly. Skipper was tossed around the deck like a…wait for it…Wonder pet! Wonder pets, wonder pets, we're on our way! To help a baby penguin and save the day! We're not too big and we're not too tough! But when we work together we got the right stuff. Goooo, Wonder pets! YAY!

Skipper was so sea sick he could barely stand, but he forced himself up using the deck for support. The whistling that pierced the air was enough to make him go deaf and huge bombs were flying through the air. They whistled before landing in the water, exploding on contact. The huge blasts of red and orange and smoke all around him was overwhelming. He wailed with terror and watched. One of those death bombs would surely hit the ship and they would be done for. This was even worse than the seal attack. He had never even heard of giant whistling exploding bombs before and was too scared to look away. He just watched the bombs explode the water around it.

"Skipper!" he heard Kowalski scream. "Skipper, snap out of it!"

Skipper was frozen at the scene. Kowalski grabbed him and shook him roughly until he could focus.

"We're under attack!" Kowalski explained, almost crying with fear. "The Southern Raiders are attacking us!

"What do we do?"Skipper shrieked.

"Let's find the others. They will know what to do."

The two of them bolted across the deck, this time, for their lives. A bomb exploded so close to them that they fell down suddenly when the ship rocked. They picked themselves off the ground and kept going until they found everyone gathered by the giant catapult. Skipper thought it was just a manly prop, but now he knew what it was for. He trembled with fright, but felt safer being with TJ and the others.

"We need to take defense," TJ pointed out calmly. "Dave, go back to steering that boat. Everyone, we need to get the ammo out. We need explosives and bombs now."

The explosives general pressed a button attached to a control a box and the floor self destructed. Kowalski and Skipper winced with terror because they thought a bomb finally bombarded their ship. They thought that would be their last moment of life, but they were very much alive. The ground raised and there were thousands of the most dangerous weapons on earth on this very ship. Skipper had no idea the military tried to exterminate enemy penguins. That wasn't right, was it? Well, it had to be if TJ thought it was. Besides, the others were trying to blow them to smithereens so it was perfectly legal to use lethal force right back at them.

Everyone was busy. The penguins hauled a bomb on to the catapult and aimed it at their enemy. Lieutenant Austin yanked the rope holding the catapult down. The knot came undone and a bomb flew in the air. It whistled so loud that Skipper almost passed out and flew almost out of sight before there was a giant explosion near the light that was starting to look a lot more like a ship. The Southern Raiders were coming closer.

"More! MORE!" TJ was throwing bombs on the catapult faster than Austin could set it up. They shot countless bombs that kept missing. The air was filled with the explosions of bombs.

There was no warning, just another shrieking whistle in the air. BOOM! The ground rumbled harder than the worst hurricane and the ship was thrown back with such force that everyone was slammed against the smoke stacks. The catapult was completely knocked over and beyond repair.

"We've been hit!"Austin reported. "Somewhere near the bow."

"Everyone, try to fix the catapult and do what you were trained to do," TJ ordered. "Use whatever we have at full force. Kowalski and Skipper, report the damage of the ship."

"Yes sir," Kowalski said loyally.

The two of them ran as fast as they could to the back of the ship. By the sound of the BOOM, things didn't look good. When they reached the back, they were not prepared for what they would see. The whole back of the deck of their precious Well Deserved was blown to pieces. There was wood everywhere and it was still raining out of the sky. There was a giant hole in the deck. Kowalski hesitantly followed Skipper to the damage and looked in the hole. The bomb hit the ship clean through the levels and they hit the boiler room which made everything explode. They weren't sure how much was destroyed though. Even the worst battle scarred ship could survive without sinking. They could hear the water flooding into the ship, but it was pitch black down there. Skipper jumped down and landed on the broken and falling apart stairway that led all the way down to the bottom floor.

"Come on, Kowalski!" he called from about five feet below. "Just jump."

"I…I don't want to," Kowalski whimpered. "It is scary down there."

"We have to. TJ told us too."

Kowalski whined and then jumped down next to Skipper. It sounded like a raging river down there and they could barely see the steps they were stepping on. One wrong step and they could plunge down there into the unknown. Skipper started to head down when Kowalski pulled him back. They just stared into each other's eyes for a moment before Skipper shook off his flipper and tried to urge him down again. Kowalski's nerve broke and be started crying uncontrollably.

"I…c-can't," he sobbed. "I'm scared."

"Keep it together-"

Kowalski reached out and hugged Skipper, pulling the confused penguin down to the ground with him. Skipper just stared straight ahead with huge unblinking eyes and felt Kowalski's heavy breathing convulsing his own body. He was definitely not the affectionate type and didn't know what to do. He finally tried to do something comforting by wrapping his wings around Kowalski and pulled the distressed private closer to him.

"It's not that bad," he said assuringly, even though he was no good at it. "We will get through this together. The team is counting on us."

Kowalski just whined and buried his head deeper into Skipper's neck. They were wasting precious time! He had to be patient though. He waited a few impatient minutes until Kowalski felt better enough to stop hugging Skipper. He still wouldn't go down there. This time Skipper decided to do the hard way, probably what TJ and Austin would do if they caught Kowalski in such a situation. Skipper roughly pushed Kowalski off.

"Let's go, soldier." Man, that sounded gold. "No moping on duty."

"I'm too scared."

With hesitation, he slapped Kowalski like TJ and Austin would do. Kowalski clutched his cheek and glanced at Skipper with hurt filled eyes.

"Come on," Skipper ordered assertively.

Skipper led the way downstairs without checking to see if Kowalski was following. Sure enough, he didn't want to be left behind and followed Skipper into the gloomy dark river. (Wanda, maybe Lionpaw and Heatherpaw are here!) He made it 20 steps without slipping and falling. He could hear the debris slam on the deck up above and wondered how the others were doing. The whole first and second bottom floors were completely blown out with nothing left. Then, he saw the river below. It was a torrent of black that swirled into the ship through a huge gaping hole and it was as deathly as a river.

"This can't be fixed," Kowalski pointed out warily. "We're going to sink. We need to get back to the others."

All of a sudden a giant wooden shard of the deck slashed down though the gaping tunnel and smashed into pieces right in front of Kowalski. A wave of fear shot though Skipper for he thought the wood hit Kowalski. It exploded and a penguin didn't explode with it. He was so relieved that he wanted to hug something. He froze with terror and an icy feeling of a new fear exploded inside him when Kowalski wailed shrilly and he collapsed to the ground.

_Oh no. What happened. Why did Kowalski just collapse like that. Oh why?_

He ran around to Kowalski front and almost feinted with what he saw. He never saw such a bright shade of red before and it made him sick. The terrible liquid was coming from the thin black feathers of Kowalski's right wing. Kowalski's shrill crying was even more terrible than the bombs outside. He clutched his flipper closer to his chest and his white feathers were already turning red. Skipper was no medic, but he had to do something.

"Let me see," he demanded.

Kowalski crumpled to the ground and continued to hold his flipper firmly with the other one. Skipper grabbed the injured one and forced it away from Kowalski's body. The warm sickening blood was seeping through his own feathers. The flipper was slashed up and lacerated almost all the way up and was in terrible shape. It was fin halfway down, but the bottom half of it was twisted at a very awkward angle. That definitely didn't look right. He touched it and cringed when Kowalski wailed with pain. He pressed down and felt that the bottom was dislocated. Luckily it wasn't broken and Kowalski was _very_ lucky even though he didn't know it. This was almost worse to look at than the bombs.

"Kowalski, come on," he pleaded. "We have to get back up."

Kowalski attempted to stand up, but stress and weakness made him go back down again. Skipper panicked when he felt water touch his feet. The black swirling river pulled at his feet and completely engulfed everything below him. Penguins could swim better than anything, but that water was completely terrifying.

"Kowalski!" he shrieked and shook his friend's shoulder. "Kowalski!"

His feet were engulfed in water and Kowalski still wasn't responding. He quickly scooped Kowalski up in his arms and tried as hard as he could to lift Kowalski. He managed and started climbing up the stairs for both of them. He was going very slowly, but they were beating the water. Finally, both of them collapsed outside.

"Stay here," Skipper told Kowalski. Despite his discomfort of affection, he hugged Kowalski good-bye. Then he raced as fast as he could to TJ and the others. Luckily the ship wasn't damaged in any other places, but the catapult was giving no success. He could just make out the massive ship of the Southern Raiders and see their Sea Ravens flag in the distance. They were coming.

"Skipper, how's the damage?" TJ demanded and shook him by the shoulders.

"We're going to sink," he confirmed.

"Listen, Skipper. The Southern Raiders are coming at our darkest hour and we're going under in the middle of the ocean."


	7. Skipper and Kowalksi Alone

Chapter 2-Skipper and Kowalski Alone

The constant firing of bombs in the sky were so violent that nobody noticed the upcoming storm that came with the calm weather. The cold wind ripped at the water and formed huge desperate waves. Lightning cracked in the sky so they could see all the details of the Southern Raiders' ship.

Skipper could feel the ship tilting up from the top as the bottom was sinking fast. He had to struggle just to stand up right. He thought of the future and what would happen. They were miles away from any land. The only floating piece of land they could possibly land on was the Southern Raiders ship and that was suicide. TJ couldn't save them this time. They just had to brace themselves. He froze with sudden terror that he would have to let go of the railing up front and go all the way to the back of the sinking ship because he forgot someone. He left a maimed Kowalski in the back of a sinking ship. How could he be such a traitor as to abandon Kowalski.

The bow of the ship was tipping up and he had to hang on to the rail or he would stumble down. The bow was probably almost completely submerged. He forced himself to let go with one flipper while the other one was holding on so tight and begged him not to let go. He slowly released the railing and tobogganed down the deck. He built speed quickly and had to steer himself through obstacles. He quickly gripped a smoke stack to slow himself down.

"Kowalski! Where are you?"

Skipper had no idea the ship would sink so fast. The whole bow was completely underwater. The blown up hole that the two of them were exploring was completely underwater. The spot where Kowalski collapsed was underwater and he was nowhere to be found.

"Kowalski!"

The injured penguin couldn't swim with just one working flipper. The force of the rising ship bow would of pushed Kowalski right into the dark river swirling into the ship. He feared that water more than anything before and now he had to go right into it. What if the current sucked him down and he would be with the ship for all eternity? He did not plan on dying this way. Then again, Kowalski would be there for all eternity if he didn't do something. He tensed up and prepared to jump in when a bolt of lightning struck the mast. The energy convulsed the whole mast and the flash was blinding. The crack of lightning was so loud and powerful that it rocked the boat like a bomb. Skipper lost his balance and was tossed in the air. He looked down suddenly and realized he was flying off the ship. He reached out desperately and managed to grab the railing. He tried as hard as he could to hang on, but the now falling rain made it too slippery and he let go.

Skipper waited to feel the icy cold chill of the water as he landed, but instead he landed on something solid. He just curled up in a ball on that item at first and then slowly opened his eyes. What were the odds that he would land on the anchor? Too bad Kowalski wasn't here to give him the exact odds.

"Skipper!"

Skipper jumped up at the sound of his name and then noticed something clinging to the other side of the anchor. Kowalski! Skipper balanced carefully and gripped on to the chain to get to the other side. Kowalski was safe on the anchor with him. He was sure that something terrible probably happened to his best friend.

"We're going to die," cried Kowalski. "I calculated the odds."

Skipper couldn't argue with that. They were defeated and couldn't survive this. Skipper was so glad to see Kowalski in his final moments of life that he pledged to try his hardest until he finally drowned. Kowalski's right wing was still bleeding heavily and looked no better.

"I'll help you swim," Skipper decided. "Just wait until the ship sinks."

"We can't. The force of the sinking ship will pull us down with it. I don't want to ruin your chances of surviving. GO on without me."

"NO!" Skipper wailed and shook some sense into Kowalski, this time more pleading than assertive. "I just found you and I am NOT going to lose you again."

"We are a team," he agreed, feeling guilty for his selfless suggestion.

"Then we jump on my mark," Skipper said and gripped Kowalski tightly. "Ready…now!"

The two penguins jumped down into the water and landed with a splash. The water was a little shocking at first, but their feathers kept them from freezing to death on contact. Skipper opened his eyes underwater and could just make out the side of the boat and read Well Deserved painted on the side.


	8. Elise and Company

Chapter 3-Elise and Company

"Will Kowalski be okay?" Skipper asked the Pole Cat anxiously. From what he learned, her name was Elise.

"I've seen worse," she mumbled with Kowalski in her teeth. "Yeah. I can heal about anything."

"Why is that?"

"Why, I'm a medic of course," she said. "You're not the only one who is in the military."

"You're one of us!" Skipper exclaimed happily. "It's nice to be around someone familiar and that I can share common ground with. Where is your team?"

"Don't have one," she replied. "I am retired for now. Here at Clevelantis we are just scattered until we are needed."

"Clevelantis? That's where we are?" Skipper confirmed.

"We passed this place on our ship to Antarctica," Kowalski added.

"You are days away from Antarctica. You sure strayed far. Well, tell me all about the ship wreck. That must have been terrible. I watched the whole thing from my home. The explosions were so bright I could see them from here."

"My team!" Skipper said excitedly. "Are they here?"

"Not that I have seen," she answered with disappointment. "We are here."

Pole Cats were very swift creatures. There was a cleft of rocks up ahead. Clutching Kowalski tightly, she jumped rock to rock tirelessly until she reached the top. Skipper struggled so she gave him her unusually long thick tail to grab on to while she took him up. Then they walked down into a little clearing of sheltered rocks and it seemed like the perfect place to live. She placed Kowalski down on a clump of grass and disappeared into her den. She seemed distracted by something.

Then she emerged with her bundles. Draping from her mouth was a tiny Pole Cat kit. It was so small that is was just a ball of fuzz. It's eyes squinted open and it squealed as she carried it. She placed it down gently in front of Skipper. The little thing was a rich brown like Elise with dapples in its fur. He looked up at her questioningly. She left without another word and disappeared back inside the den and returned with another. It was gray dappled with two white paws. The two of them squirmed in a heap on front of Skipper.

"These are my kits," she introduced. "Keep them warm while I get some herbs for your friend."

Skipper felt inferior by being assigned this mommy mission. The kits squirmed and squealed and felt the world around them with their tiny paws. He layed down next to them and watched them. The chestnut dappled Pole Cat kit crawled towards him.

"No," he grumbled. "Go the other way. Go on, scidaddle."

It clawed and sniffed at his belly. He watched with curiosity as the other one did the same. What pathetic little creatures. They couldn't even walk and didn't even seem to know what they were doing. They were nothing like adult Pole Cats even though the one that saved them was the only one he had ever seen ever. He shivered when they started to suck on him like vicious squids and he pushed them away as fast as he could. What on earth were those cute bundles of evil doing? Elise was watching from her den. Her ears perked at the squealing of her kits and she turned away from what she was doing.

"Be nice to them," she warned. "They're just hungry and I will feed them in a moment."

She finally finished her business with the leaves and herbs. She carried them over to Kowalski and crouched down next to him. He was very weak, but natural reaction dried up the blood on his wing. She began to groom away all the dried blood causing it to bleed all over again.

"Trust me," she purred. "I know exactly what I'm doing."

Elise set to work on chewing up the leaves. They just looked like ordinary plants to the young privates. So this was what a medic did…How boring! She made a poultice and dabbed her paw in it.

"Hold out your wing," she said gently. "It should feel good."

Kowalski did and she rubbed the green juice all over his wing. He closed his eyes with pleasure and sighed contently. He peeked open one eye to watch Skipper be harassed by the hungry Pole Cat kits.

"Having fun over there, dude?"

"Well, these little things are evil," Skipper said darkly. "Just waiting to suck out my blood…"

"Fine, fine," Elise meowed with annoyance. "I'll feed them."

Elise licked each one on the head and settled down next to them. They immediately abandoned Skipper with looks of hatred and began sucking on Elise's fat stomach. She layed down her head and closed her eyes.

"W-what…" Skipper was about to ask what they were sucking on but he changed his mind. There was one thing he hated being and that was a burden. "We will leave as soon as Kowalski gets better."

"Leave to where?" she asked without even opening her eyes.

"Um…Wherever our team might be," Skipper replied. Somewhere off this island."

"How will you get there?" she purred with amusement. "You're ship went down yesterday."

"We will find a way," he insisted.

"Stay with me," she said. "There is no point on you leaving yet. Just stay here until your team shows up or something. Besides, you don't even know how to live around here. There is plenty of room, don't worry."

"I wouldn't mind staying a few days," Kowalski agreed. He looked at Skipper for approval.

Wait a minute. He looked at _Skipper_ for approval. Skipper felt a sense of pride and well earned leadership when Kowalski was waiting for him to call the shot. He could imagine what TJ felt every day with a whole team and ship under his command. It was a screwball idea to venture out into the unknown when he has so ignorant. He could learn a lot from this Pole Cat. Maybe his team would show up later.

"Yes," he agreed. "We will stay with you. Can you tell us about the island?"

"After a nap," she purred sleepily. "You two could sure use some rest. Make yourselves at home. By the way, Skipper, the kits are drinking milk, not my blood."

Skipper went to sleep shortly after Elise and Kowalski. He only slept for about an hour before he woke up and just layed there, listening to the gentle breathing of Kowalski, Elise, and the kits. Without warning, he was attacked by hunger. Then he remembered that he hadn't eaten since the day before and he spewed that all up so he was very hungry. He couldn't just wait around while this hunger ate through his insides. He silently got up and decided to go fishing. Every ocean had fish and he was pretty good at catching them. He left the group silently.

This place wasn't so bad. The soft sandy ground was a good substitute for snow and the trees provided shade from the uncomfortable heat. He went to the shore of the island and stared into the water. He then dived in and searched for fish. He swam all over and didn't see any fish. He went deeper and deeper into the ocean and saw nothing. Minutes passed and he had no luck. What kind of sick and twisted place was this? He would starve if he didn't get some decent fish. This was the same ocean he had always been on so why was it so different.

Skipper slipped out of the water and decided to try somewhere else. He pointed at the water accusingly. "Okay, you stupid fish, have it your way," he threatened. "But I will find you, you hear me?"

"Um…Who are you talking to?"

He whirled around to see Elise standing right behind him. Her ears were perked up with amusement and she joined him by the water. "Not talking to fish, are you?"

"Fish? What a joke! There is nothing here!"

"You're just ignorant, that's all," she pointed out simply.

"What? No I'm not."

She rolled her eyes. "Ignorant is not the same as stupid. Well…you are naive as well. Fish here are not like they are down south. I can catch you one if you'd like."

Skipper watched excitedly and expected her to plunge into the water and emerge with a yummy fishy feast. Instead she crouched down and just waited there. She didn't move a muscle and just watched…and watched… and watched… He was getting bored. He didn't have time to waste. He was starving now.

"What are you doing?" he said annoyed. "I need fish."

"Shut up and they will come out," she whispered.

Skipper sprawled flat on a rock and watched from up high. He stared at the sand. This Pole Cat had bees in her brain. How did she expect the catch fish by being a dust collector. Then he saw where the fish were. They were in the sand. Little silver fish finally emerged from their hiding places in the sand, dozens of them. He was so disappointed though. They were so small that they couldn't even be described as fish. The ones he caught were about as big as himself, not little shrimpy silver ones. How disappointing.

With lots of expertise she swiped her paw in the water and scooped out three fish at once. She picked them up in her mouth and placed them in a pile. Skipper's mouth watered, but it would be rude to not resist. He waited impatiently. She scooped out three more… then six… then another two… She had a whole pile in a matter of minutes. The pile was taller than he was. He looked at it with amazement. She had to feed five including herself so this would be just enough.

"Help yourself," she offered. "I can teach you how to hunt later."

Skipper folded his wings and squinted at her suspiciously. "But we're not staying here that long."

"I know you want to leave, but you have to stay with me," she meowed kindly and hugged him affectionately. "It's okay to miss them, but you need to think of what is best for yourself."

Skipper felt sick at the thought. She was right though. Until something happened, he had to stay with her. How long would that be though? For now, all he cared about was eating. He devoured as much as he could along with Elise. He was so hungry that he forgot that manners were invented for a reason. Elise put a paw on front of him.

"You've had enough. The rest are for Kowalski and the others are to store for later."

The two of them started on their way back carrying the fish with them. Skipper felt more complete now that he was fed, but another question bugged at him. He noticed that Elise self-appointed herself to care for the two young penguins. She cared about them deeply and was a military medic. She was very useful and he had meant to ask her a question ever since they started on their way back. He was scared to ask and held it off the whole way. They were almost there and he had to ask.

"I have a question," he began confidently and tried not to let his voice falter.

"Sure. I will try to answer it the best I can."

"Um…I thought a lot about what you said and you are right. We might be a while. Thank you for taking care of us in our time of need."

"Your welcome. It's just instinct since I have two of my own. Do you need something else?"

"Yes, I do." He took a deep breath and then forced out the words. "We might be here a while and we can't fall back on our military training. I know you're not a Captain or a Lieutenant, but…Can you train Kowalski and me to become soldiers?"

Elise nodded. "Of course I will. I know as much fighting as I am required to. I am touched by your offer and I accept."


	9. The Wanted

Chapter 4- The Wanted

Kowalski was adding the last touch to his new experiment. He was positive that the automatic Pole Cat kit entertainer would be a success. Before adding another stick, he checked over his blueprints and the stick was exactly the right size. Then again, he was up all night creating this so his brain was fried.

"Roar! Here I come!" Anneleise shrieked. "I'm going to get you!"

The two Pole Cat kits, Anneleise and Chase, were playing tag nearby. Anneleise was chasing Chase all around Kowalski's work area. The two of them didn't watch where they were going and trampled Kowalski's experiment to the ground.

"NO!" Kowalski wailed to the sky spirits. "Oh, why? WHY?"

The kits didn't see the error of their ways. They found Kowalski's experiment to be a toy alright, but not in the way he intended. Kowalski clutched his sleepy head and thought about how he wasted the whole night for nothing. He gasped with horror when the two of them were tug-o-warring with Kowalski's blueprints.

"NO! NO! NO!"

Kowalski snatched them back and smoothed out the fringed corners. It was still okay thank goodness. He could still fix this. He looked up from the paper and prepared to yell at the two rats for vandalizing private property, but they were already gone.

"Keep it together, Kowalski," he said calmly. "You can make it again and there is no problem. They don't know any better."

Another hour passed of non-stop working and Kowalski finally got his experiment to look like new again. It looked exactly like it did on the blueprints but on a much larger scale. It was supposed to be an automatic coconut chucker so they could chase coconuts all day long and leave him alone to work on something else. There was nothing but time here.

"This is war here, privates!" Skipper said from the top of a rock. "Our enemy is down there. Well, Southern Raider, you surrender?"

Kowalski glance up from what he was doing. Skipper was standing regally on the top of the rocky den with Anne and Chase next to him. Their tails were swishing and they looked very playful. Skipper on the other hand was having an awesome time. He never thought mentoring little privates would be so fun. All morning the three of them were playing soldier while Elise went somewhere and wouldn't be back until sunset. Kowalski was being boring so they were playing soldier. Being older and experienced, he was the Captain and the kits were the team privates. Kowalski was temporarily serving as a Southern Raider.

"Attack, team!" he commanded.

Anne and Chase charged down the slope and pounced on Kowalski. Kowalski flipped up and jabbed Chase so he fell over and then flipped Anne. Both of them layed on the ground rubbing their heads while Kowalski went back to the experiment.

"That was pathetic, privates," Skipper insulted them. "We need to practice some more. To think you wanted to be a _General_, Chase. I'm not even a General! Anne, you didn't even think. You just expected Kowalski to do nothing."

"Let's play again," they pleaded and ran in circles around their captain.

"Want to play with us, Brainatron 5000?" Skipper asked Kowalski.

"Fine," he agreed. "I can always work on the experiment later. No problem."

"Alright, team. Lieutenenat Kowalski is in the game. We need to find something to become our Southern Raider."

"I want to be Lieutenant," Chase complained. "Why does Kowalski always get to be Lieutenant?"

"Yeah, why?" Anneleise added.

"Well…We can always change positions," Skipper decided and rolled his eyes to think. "I can be the _Admiral _and you two can be my dowdy secretaries."

"Seems fair," Kowalski said and the two of them high fived.

"RAAAAR!

The kits attacked Skipper playfully and they tussled for dominance. That was about all they did all day. Skipper and Kowalski were used to this life and rarely thought about their short time as privates on the Well Deserved. They had lived at Clevelantis for five months. They had plenty of food, company, and a worry free life. Elise accepted them as part of her family and things were going great. Of course they missed their team, but they were happy here and didn't mind staying forever if they had to.

Elise kept her promise and trained Skipper and Kowalski to be soldiers. They were still privates in military rank, but they were so good now that both of them together could defeat Elise. She was a much softer and more encouraging mentor than Austin was so they liked her very much. On this particular morning though, she didn't tell them where she went, just to take care of her kits. Being on a worry free island, they didn't worry about her.

Later that night, Elise returned. Skipper and Kowalski were basking in the final rays of the sun when Elise came back. They quickly got up to see if she caught some fish, but she had nothing. Something seemed to be on her mind. She barely even acknowledged their presence and said nothing when Anne and Chase tried to talk about their fun day. She just layed down and watched the sun with them. Skipper felt insulted that Kowalski, Anneleise, and Chase didn't notice how down she was feeling. They just kept on with their mindless chatter and didn't notice. Skipper thought it would be rude not to say anything. She was never so silent and still before. He slid down from his rock and landed next to her.

"Did something happen?" he asked quietly so Kowalski and the others couldn't hear.

She sighed. "Yes. Something did happen as a matter of fact. Come into my den and bring Kowalski with you. Anneleise and Chase will stay out here."

He blinked with confusion as she headed to her den without another word. What on earth was so important that she had to call them away to tell? This was nothing like the Elise they lived with these five months. He wondered how things would change after listening to her news. He just stood there and watched the kits play with Kowalski's new invention while he swelled with pride. He had to treasure this moment now for in a few minutes it could all change forever. Kowalski noticed him watching them blankly from a distance and came over.

"Are you day dreaming or something?" asked Kowalski. "Well, you are just staring at the ground and that is a common sign of mind illusion in the concept of thought."

"Elise didn't look too good when she came back from her outing, did she?" Skipper asked dully.

"I didn't notice," Kowalski admitted guiltily. "Is she okay?"

"She wants us to meet her in the den right now," he explained. "And to…not take the kits with us."

Both of them were letting the fear eat them alive with what Elise had to tell them. It was unlike Skipper to show any weakness so he marched confidently into the cave. The kits didn't attempt to follow anyway so that made life easier. When they got there, the brown and white Pole Cat was pacing in tight circles. They stood there for a few seconds before she noticed them and stopped pacing.

"Yow two know that our neighbor island is Atlantis," she began shakily. "And now we have a problem. Atlantis used to be our neighbor island that is just like us, but things have changed. I met up with some other Pole Cats and we found out some terrible news. According to our records, a ship landed on the coast of Atlantis two months ago. This has stayed on the down low. All we knew was that it was a red and white ship called the Red October."

"Oh." Skipper really hoped that by chance it would be the Well Deserved even though it was a sure fired goner. The Red October…That ship seemed so familiar even though he never heard its name before. It was a long time ago, but yes, something was familiar about it. Then he remembered. It was such a terrible memory that he tried to avoid ever since it happened, but he remembered. He remembered a sickly night on the Well Deserved and then it happened. The bombs rained from the sky and bombed the ship. Skipper remembered jumping off the anchor with Kowalski and through the storm, he was just close enough to see the ship that bombed them. IT was dark out, but it was red and ancient looking.

"The Red October belongs to the Southern Raiders," he said dramatically. "I know that ship."

"You're right. It was months ago, but they have stayed at Atlantis. I need to show you something that someone found."

She rolled a piece of paper to them. It was very old and wind blown. Kowalski picked it up and unrolled it. Skipper's eyes were glued to the paper when he saw a picture of TJ and Austin. Under those pictures were pictures of themselves. They stared at it. There was a wanted label at the top.

"WANTED," Kowalski read aloud. "Military Captain of the 12th missionary that goes by the name of TJ. Military Lieutenant Austin and two privates Skipper and Kowalski. If you have any information that reveals the location of these fugitives contact Steak Knife (wanda, look!), the leader of the Southern Raiders."

"We're wanted," Skipper whimpered._ Oh, buck up man!_ "Well…they won't know where to find us. We are on an island in the middle of nowhere."

"I'm so sorry. This is all my fault," Elise said and was close to tears. She reached out to hug them. Kowalski accepted but Skipper would not take this like one of her baby kits and wrefused. "They know where you are. Do you two remember when I invited that one Pole Cat to stay with us for a few days? He was really a spy from Atlantis that told Steak Knife all about you two. You are wanted. Read this."

She gave them another sheet of paper. It was written with an ancient typewriter and Kowalski continued.

To who is may concern,

Don't get me wrong, I think you two privates are gifted soldiers if you were able to survive that ship wreck. Bombing the Well Deserved is probably my greatest accomplishment. It is now my job to find out what happened to the leader and Lieutenant of your team. I need you privates alive for the knowledge you can give me. I have been watching the Well Deserved the night I attacked it and you two certainly know the plans of your team. I need the information so I can eliminate them and I will be unstoppable. There is no point hiding on your pathetic little island and living with Pole Cats. You can't hide from me forever. I have the whole city of Atlantis on my side and we will find you. Come to me willingly and there will be no consequences. The Red October is at the north entrance of Atlantis. It is the only place not surrounded by mountains and I'm sure you will find it. If you don't come, we have other ways of making you talk.

Your better,

Steak Knife

"What are we going to do?" Elise cried. "I can't let you two go. Steak Knife has turned the Pole Cats of Atlantis against us. Nothing is safe anymore."

"We should go to the Red October willingly," Kowalski agreed. "There is no way out of this one. Well…" He scribbled down some options on his new notebook, a little gift from Elise. "We can always find another seaworthy ship and leave this island ASAP."

"They will capture it," Elise refused.

"We should stay how we are," Skipper suggested. "I mean, it is just a threat. What is the worst they can do? This island is huge and they probably won't find us. We can keep on constant patrol and stay where we are. We don't know what Steak Knife is capable of doing with us. We can't just turn ourselves in willingly. I wish TJ and Austin were here to decide things for us. We are too young for this."

"You decide," Kowalski decided. "I am with you every step of the way."

"Then we stay," Skipper announced. "If worst comes to worst, we will do something."

"If that is your wish, I will protect you every step of the way," Elise vowed. "We will take shifts. We need to guard at all times. I've already alerted every Pole Cat I have met and they will come here and tell us if the Southern Raiders come here. Skipper, you take the first shift. Tell us if anything happens."

They continued to announce future plans inside the den for about an hour. They finally got a plan that was worth a try. They couldn't just turn themselves in without a fight. They elected Skipper as their leader and now they were ready to sleep. Skipper didn't mind staying up. It was for a good cause.

When they exited the den, something was wrong. Maybe it was the quiet atmosphere hanging in the air or the dreaded feeling that something was dangerously wrong. They exited warily and wondered what it could be. Skipper thought it was just military paranoia and climbed up the rocks to began his shift. Then suddenly, there was a shrill cry from Elise and he jumped around. She was staring with pure horror at a spot on the ground. Now they knew what had happened. Something was terribly wrong. Laying at Elise's paws was a rolled up piece of paper with a sword stabbed through it.

And the kits were gone.


	10. Skipper's Revenge

Chapter 5-

Warning: This story may contain material that is disturbing to some viewers. Viewer discretion is advised.

Skipper and Kowalski,

I had a feeling you wouldn't give in so easily. I decided to get ahead of the game and maybe this little offering will change your mind. I know how fond of those kits you are and certainly you wouldn't want to see anything bad happen to them. Now that you see things our way, I expect you will cooperate. If you don't give me the information I want then I will personally take out these two kits and hang their pelts with the others over the mast of my ship.

Steak Knife

"They're going to kill my kits," Elise cried. "I don't care about the plan anymore. Just tell them what you know."

"We can't," Skipper replied fearfully. "We don't know anything. We haven't seen them since the shipwreck. Steak Knife is demanding information I cannot give."

"You have to know something!" wailed Elise.

"I…I have an idea," Kowalski said and started writing something down. "We can try to rescue the kits ourselves."

"It's dangerous, but doable," Skipper contemplated. "We can head towards Atlantis just like Steak Knife wants and he won't stop us. When we get there, we will break into the Red October and rescue the kits."

"That is very brave of you," meowed Elise. "You really are going to risk your lives to save my kits?"

"That's what we soldiers do," Skipper said loyally and saluted her. "You trained us for this, remember? To get to Atlantis, we will need a boat."

Elise pounced up on the rocks, her tail swishing ambitiously. "Follow me. I think I have a perfect ship for you two."

Elise was taking the two of them to a place on the island they had never been to before. She was obviously taking them to a ship. She exited a clump of bushes and trees and entered the open.

"Meet your new ship," she introduced.

Kowalski and Skipper glanced at the giant black and silver ship parked on a peninsula that they never saw before. The ship was fairly huge, but nowhere near as big as the Well Deserved. The Well Deserved was a huge cruise ship and this was a…fishing boat. It had attachments on it to catch fish.

"This is my ship, the Time Bandit," Elise meowed. "I keep this ship for special occasions and now I am giving it to you. You need to leave this island forever AND save my kits so here it is. Find you team and be the best soldiers our military has ever seen. Good luck to you."

She hugged each one before sending them off. They entered the ship with fascination. They climbed up the ladder and on to the deck. It was pretty small, but they would be less noticeable this way. The Time Bandit was the perfect ship for them. They searched around and found a steering wheel and only a few switches up front. There wasn't a control room with computers and everything else. There was a lever for each propeller and a steering wheel, that was it. There was a huge sail that needed put up and they were ready to go. Skipper tried to figure out how they worked. He yanked the two levers back and the ship vibrated under their weight. It creaked and then pushed itself off into the water. Elise watched them from shore.

"Farewell, brave soldiers!" she called to them. "Bring my kits with you!"

"Thanks for everything, Elise!" Kowalski shouted back.

Skipper reversed the switches and the ship moved forwards. He steered away from Clevelantis and headed West according to the built in compass. Elise got farther away until she was just a little dot along with the island. Finally she was out of sight. She meant more to them than anyone and they hoped they would see her again. They were moving fairly slow towards their destination.

"Kowalski, put that sail up," he commanded. "We're going to need it."

"Yes, Captain."

Kowalski wrestled with the tarp and hauled it up the mast. Those cinder block exercises did some help after all. Clevelantis was completely out of sight now. After Kowalski set up the sail, they moved at a quicker speed.

"What are we going to do when we get there?" Kowalski asked. "The odds are definitely against us. We are forging into enemy territory with a simple minded plan. What if we don't get Elise's kits back? What if they catch us?"

"Don't say that. We will make it."

They had to be extra careful not to venture into shallow waters. The ship didn't have a radar that measured water depth or even lights for that matter. They sailed on for about an hour. Skipper felt sea sick and worried sick at the same time. They had to reach Atlantis soon. They were getting nearer and nearer with every passing minute. He hoped this moment would never come, but they were getting closer. After a life of happiness, they were about to lose it all. He had been a private for five months and never thought he would have to be a captain so soon. He stared at the steering wheel and just thought about the meaning of life.

"Skipper!" Kowalski exclaimed. "I see the mountains! Atlantis is up ahead."

"Uh… Kowalski, wheel…"

Kowalski quickly took control of the ship as Skipper puked again. He wanted to feint and just pretend this wasn't happening. The mountains were in sight. They were dark mountains and it was a wonder why this was called the hidden city. He thought Atlantis was utopia though, not an enemy base of traitors that were against the world. Kowalski turned the ship so they traveled by the side of the mountains. Then they reached their destination. There was a narrow gap between the mountains that allowed entry. The entrance to their deaths. Skipper felt like jelly when he saw smoke rising from the trees that obviously came from a very ancient ship like the Red October.

"Skipper, drop anchor here."

Skipper raced to the back of the ship and pulled on the anchor. It crashed in the water and the ship slowed down dramatically. Skipper had to grab on to the rail for support when the ship scraped the land. The ship came to a complete stop. A dark mountain loomed ahead with a dark forest. It was _so_ uninviting. Hopefully they cam unseen. The Time Bandit was as black as night and it had no lights AND it was small. This mission was simple if they didn't think of all the obstacles up ahead. They had to get into the Red October and escape with the kits without any of the Southern Raiders knowing. Luckily, the ancient ship ran on coal so it left a smoke trail that brightened the sky.

"Let's travel by tree," Kowalski decided. "It will make us less noticeable."

They leaped swiftly into the trees and balanced along. They went through the area and every step got them closer to the smoke. Finally, they could see lights though the trees. Kowalski parted aside the leaves and they watched the still scene ahead of them.

There is was: The dreaded ship of the Southern Raiders. It was arched up on a hill of land with its front end out of the water. They could make out its scarlet color through the dark and it's white stripe near the deck. The whole railing was complete rust along with the sides of the ship. It had dents and rough repairs. That ship had to be as old as time itself. Written in dark paint was Red October. It was almost as big as the Well Deserved, but much more scary looking. That wasn't the worst part. Draped over the edge of the bow was a collection of animals pelts. Their eyes glittered like they were still alive and they hung over the railing and draped down over the boat. Animal pelts of all kind were hanging there, Pole Cats, dogs, birds, and worst of all, penguins. All of them were once helpless victims of Steak Knife. They could very much be up there too, warning others for all eternity to stay away from the Southern Raiders. They couldn't think about that though.

"I see the way inside," Skipper whispered to Kowalski and pointed to a rope ladder near the anchor. "Once we climb up the ladder we can hide behind the anchor rope crank. Then we need to get inside the ship somehow."

Skipper was about to spring out of the tree when Kowalski held him back with the voice of reason. "That is your plan? That is your genius plan? We have no idea what is even inside the ship. For all we know there could be a whole party of Southern Raiders in there."

"You have a better plan? We don't know what we're up against until we get there."

They climbed down and walked up to that huge haunted ship. They were almost there when Skipper stepped on something cold and hard. He jumped quickly just in case it was a dead body. He saw the silver of a knife glitter in the starlight. He picked it up and stared at. It must belong to a Southern Raider. It was so old that it was rusted over. Rust or dried blood…There was no telling how many poor creatures that blade killed. Kowalski looked back and examined it.

"We better take it with us," Skipper decided. "We might need it if anything gets too ugly."

"But…I have never killed anyone before," Kowalski whimpered helplessly. "Let's just leave it. Please leave it."

"I don't know where you have been, soldier, but this is the military. Trust me, I will do anything to protect myself and do the right thing."

Kowalski seemed very scared to see his best friend holding such a terrible thing, possessing it like it was part of him. Skipper knew Kowalski was weak, but not like this. Where was he all this time? He imagined himself defending himself against a Southern Raider, Steak Knife even. He could imagine passing this blade though the body of another living and could see the scarlet blood everywhere…He liked it. This was what he was trained for and he would gladly protect his friends that way.

Skipper led the way up the ladder. It wasn't very sturdy. He paused silently and listened for the Southern Raiders, but heard nothing. He signaled Kowalski to follow. They got high enough until they were surrounded by the animals pelts that hung from the railing. Kowalski looked like he was about to be sick while Skipper thought about this as an advantage. They could use the pelts for cover when they climbed off the ladder. They were hidden behind the pelt of some strange black creature. Its fangs were still bared into a snarl and it must of died fighting. Skipper clutched his knife tightly and peeked outside. The deck was about as sorry as the rest of the ship. There was no one in sight. Where were all the Southern Raiders? Perhaps they were inside the ship torturing the kits because Skipper and Kowalski never showed up.

Skipper tobogganed on to the deck and dived behind the anchor rope crank. He signaled Kowalski silently to follow. Kowalski did what he did and then they pressed themselves to the smoke stack which was burning hot with smoke and coal. They moved along carefully until they were traveling along side the entrance. The door was part way open. It was open, but it looked creaky. It was so old that is had a dial on it that you had to turn to open. They waited where they were. A light shown from inside.

"Wait here," Skipper whispered to Kowalski.

He jumped and started climbing the wall. He climbed on top of the door and then hesitantly peeked in upside down. There was no one there. Skipper signaled Kowalski to follow again and then jumped inside. A land based mission would be much too risky. The ceiling had ancient light bulbs on strings for light. He clutched on to the ropes and used them like monkey bars to get across. Kowalski was right behind him. The hallway split up into two directions. At the end of the hallway was a wall of taxidermy heads. Skipper was so glad that the Well Deserved didn't look like this. There were pelts and animals remains all over the place! They froze when they heard a sound. It sounded like someone was talking. Then he heard the familiar yowl of a Pole Cat.

_Chase!_ Skipper thought with horror. _They're torturing Chase!_

Safety didn't matter much anymore. They turned left and pressed themselves to the thin walls by the door. There was only one penguin in the room. He expected this ship to be crawling with Southern Raiders, but there was only one. They silently slipped into the room. Two little Pole Cat kits cowered in the corner. The penguin watched them with a relaxed expression and supported himself on an ancient counter with one wing. He was even more scarred that TJ. His ratty black and white feathers were missing in lots of places where dozens of scars were. He was a penguin from lots of fights that was for sure. Skipper was just relieved to see the kits were alive.

"Perhaps you didn't have enough time to…think over my offer, yes?" the penguin asked smoothly and with absolutely no aggression. "The two didn't tell you anything worth telling me?"

"No," Chase squeaked.

"How very nice."

Skipper and Kowalski recognized this penguin immediately. This had to be Steak Knife. They could tell because he talked with the same laid-back personality as the letters. He had this relaxed mood that just made the fear of his victims feed on itself. Anneleise was crying while Chase was just watching with fear.

An old clock hanging on the wall bonged exactly twelve times. Steak Knife looked at the clock and then slowly back to the kits. They clearly knew something about midnight that Skipper and Kowalski didn't.

"Well, would you look at that? Twelve o' clock," Steak Knife purred. "Such a beautiful time of night, yes? Well, I have waited long enough. You said Skipper and Kowalski would be here to save you two. Well, they're not here, are they now?"

_I am here! We're going to save you._

"They don't have a ship," whined Chase. "They couldn't of got here anyway."

"No matter. A threat is a threat. Well, I have no other plans tonight because my team is out looking for your friends. I am a penguin of my word and it is only fair to dispose of you little rats right now."

Out of nowhere, there was a whistle and Steak Knife pulled out a broad sword. He twirled it around and then it turned into two of them. They were so sharp that they could impale the life out of whatever it desired. The kits screamed and huddled as far as they could against the wall. Steak Knife did a few tricks with them and then hovered it over them over each cat so the icy cold blade touched each one. There was nothing Steak Knife loved more than to torture animals before killing them. He would get what he wanted in more ways than one.

Skipper on the other hand was watching the whole thing from up above. He was not going to let Steak Knife do this. Gripping his handy knife, he aimed it down at Steak Knife. Kowalski grabbed his shoulder with a look of horror and he shook his head no. Skipper glared at Kowalski menacingly and wanted to slap him more than anything. He waited until Steak Knife was just about to slash Chase's throat before throwing it. He shrieked with surprise when the knife passed right through Steak Knife's left wing and then landed like a dart right into the wall. Skipper jumped down as fast as he could and before Steak Knife could pull it out, he thrust it into the wall as hard as he could and stole the broad swords. They were so sharp that he could obliviate Steak Knife in a matter of seconds. He didn't dare look away from this victim. Steak Knife was capable of doing anything.

"Follow me, kits," Kowalski ordered. Kowalski tobogganed to the doorway and then stopped when he forgot Skipper.

"Hurry, Skipper," he begged. "You've done enough."

"No." Skipper didn't once look away from Steak Knife's icy green eyes. "I'm not finished here."

Kowalski was smart enough to know that Skipper would not leave. He was too vengeful to leave now.

"I know I can't stop you…" he said shakily.

Skipper nodded.

"But I want you to remember something. Think about your actions before you let ambition be your first regret."


	11. Steak Knife Talks

Chapter 6- Steak Knife Talks

Skipper waited until Kowalski left before whirling on Steak Knife. "I know you are planning something so don't even try to deny it. I know it can't be good, but you are mesmerizing everyone in Atlantis to follow your plans."

"Yes. Yes I am," Steak Knife replied calmly. "I don't mean to brag or anything, but it is a really good one too."

"What is it?" Skipper growled, getting very impatient. "I may be just a private, but I am more powerful then you."

"The tables have turned. It is amazing how situations can turn out, don't you think. You sure got me. I had no idea you would do this. Skipper is it?"

Skipper's eyes widened with confusion. This was NOT going according to plan. He had Steak Knife completely helpless, but he was talking to Skipper like there was nothing between them, almost like friends even. Didn't Steak Knife see the blood dribbling from his right wing or feel the knife that was stabbed clean through it. Skipper didn't understand. He even searched those icy olive green eyes for fear and found none. How could that be?

"Yes, I thought it was you. That was quite an entrance there. I can see why TJ appointed you to the team. Where have you been all these months? I knew you survived that shipwreck, I just wasn't sure where."

Skipper listened with interest.

"This is just so surprising," he continued lightly. "You are smarter than I thought. Anyway, I completely respect you for standing up to me. It must take lots of bravery to come in here and do all this."

"You are playing with my mind and trying my patience," Skipper growled and kept a firm hold on the broad swords. "Just tell me what I need to know. First, where are the other Southern Raiders?"

"Gone," he answered. "They left a few months ago on my command. Don't worry, they are miles away from here probably. They won't come in and save me or anything."

Steak Knife was cooperating, but a little too easily. Skipper could see in his eyes that he was telling the truth exactly like it was. That usually came with threats in fear, but he just looked _amused._ This penguin was absolutely crazy.

"It's okay, I'm not lying," he purred in a soft voice. "I trust with you with such information. I am all alone here by the way. I can tell you the information you want."

"You will."

"Of course I will. But…maybe I should just show you instead. The plans are hidden on this ship. I can tell you where they are. You just have to do one more thing for me though."

"I will not!" he thundered. Steak Knife didn't even flinch.

"A little worked up, are we now? Yes? Breathe deeply and relax before threatening me. It would make me feel better if you didn't fray your nerves in such a way. Listen to me carefully…Just watch me and relax."

Steak Knife was holding some sort of spell over Skipper. They stared right into each other's eyes and Skipper couldn't help but obeying. He breathed deeply and relaxed. It was so easy to listen to Steak Knife. His words were like magic. Now he was ready to listen.

"I want you to put the broad swords back in their place when you're finished with them. That is all you have to do."

Skipper nodded obediently. "Where do they go?"

"Up there on the wall."

Skipper took a few steps away and then froze. What on earth was he doing? Instead of threatening his victim, he was putting Steak Knife's broad swords back in place. He was _cleaning_ Steak Knife's ship all because he could talk and stare his way out of anything. Skipper quickly jumped around and was relieved to see the scarred penguin still watching him calmly, not even attempting to free himself.

"I don't know what you're playing at, but I will not fall for it," he said assertively. "I want information and I am not giving up my weapons."

"It's okay, I understand. I don't blame you for wanting to be safe. Well, just put them back when you are finished threatening me, yes? Do you want me to show you where the plans are? Just let me go and I will."

"Not a chance."

Steak Knife's free wing rested on Skipper's shoulder and he suddenly felt relaxed. Why did he want to trust Steak Knife so much after all the tragedy that built up between them? He didn't resist and just breathed in deeply and with relaxation just like he wanted.

"If you want to make sure I don't get away, you can have something else of mine." He pointed to a golden sword that was hanging on the wall by a taxidermy body of a black Pole Cat. It was still snarling and it must have died fighting. That sword was obviously the very one that ended its life. Steak Knife was sure a collector all right. "That way I can't get away from you. I would just tell you where the plans are, but you will never find them. Also, you would have to leave me unattended while you searched for them. You wouldn't want any chance of me getting away, yes?"

"You're right," Skipper agreed calmly.

He took the heavy sword off the wall and held the sharp point, stroking it in his wings. It was real and dangerous. Steak Knife wasn't deceiving him in any way. He stood a safe distance back.

"Can you pull that knife out of my wing, yes? I'm going to feel that in the morning."

Skipper kept the sword held tightly and came closer. He watched warily, but Steak Knife still looked trustworthy. He held the end of the knife and pulled. It was really stuck in there all right.

All of a sudden Steak Knife's wing that was trapped suddenly jerked against the knife and shot it out of the wall with no strength at all. Skipper stumbled backwards with shock and quickly and grabbed his handy sword. He looked around and couldn't find Steak Knife anywhere. Oh no. What did he just do? He was as quiet as a mouse, but could only hear the sound of his own heartbeat. Then he heard a thump behind him and turned around. Steak Knife was standing there. He tried to back away, but Steak Knife put a wing on his shoulder again and held him there.

"Breathe deeply and relax," he instructed in a calm voice. "Stress is very bad for you. This will only hurt a little so don't freak." He pulled Skipper a little closer. Skipper was so scared that he was whining uncontrollably and sobs formed within his chest. "Don't be so scared. It is amazing how fear feeds on itself. Just take it like a soldier. I know what pain feels like and you should too. This will only a hurt a little, yes?"

Skipper couldn't believe this was happening. He looked into Steak Knife's eyes that were still so trusting. He was so scared, but those words were still just as comforting as before. When he was pulled closer, Skipper couldn't resist burying his head into Steak Knife's feathers and crying his eyes out. Steak Knife accepted Skipper's strong reaction with gently words.

"Fear is feeding on you once again," he whispered to the distressed private. "I shall do you a favor. I will put up the swords for you, yes? There is no reason to feel so scared. Shhhhh…Shhh… Tell me when you feel better."

It was a few minutes before Skipper's crying finally ceased. Steak Knife pulled him away. "It is nice to see you are feeling better. I will put up the sword for you. Just breathe deeply now." Skipper did. "It's like I said, this won't hurt very much, just like a little pinprick."

It only took a split second for Steak Knife to turn on him. He took the sword from Skipper's flippers and caressed it like some special item. He ran it along the top of Skipper's head and traced it down his throat. Skipper wailed some more and collapsed to the ground. He wasn't hurt and he knew exactly what Steak Knife was doing. He was enjoying Skipper's fear and accepting it as a compliment.

"Just hold still," he whispered. "It will be over in a second."

Steak Knife pressed the sword more firmly on Skipper's belly and slid it down. Skipper could feel no pain from the gentle caressing of the sword, but he wailed shrilly when he saw his own blood dribbling down himself and saw the gash Steak Knife made. He wanted this to end quickly, not go through this torture. Steak Knife left for a second and came back with a jar. He crouched down by Skipper and gently rubbed his horrible injury.

"W-what are you doing?" cried Skipper.

"Hush, little one. See, that didn't hurt now, did it? I still have respect for you and you deserve an answer, yes? I am collecting your blood to put on my bed post."

"Why?" he asked faintly.

"I just want to see your memories, that's all. I do like to collect a little something from my victims. I will tell you this, you are the most fascinating victim I have ever met."

Steak Knife rubbed Skipper's wound, much more roughly than before. Skipper rose with a flick of pain and then layed back down again.

"Does that hurt? I'm so sorry, I won't do it again. Do you want this pain to end?"

Skipper didn't answer. Steak Knife kept stroking him in that hurtful way he didn't like until he finally nodded.

"Okay then. This won't hurt a bit."

Steak Knife slapped his neck and then Skipper was unconscious.


	12. Part 3: Taken

Part 3: Taken

Okay, two parts down, a few more to go! Steak Knife managed to talk himself out of Skipper's execution plans, and now has a special death planned for Skipper.


	13. Aboard the Red October

Skipper's Military Days

Episode 3: Aboard the Red October

Sensation finally came back to Skipper. He could finally feel as if he were alive again. He tried to clear his head to what happened last night. The first thought was that he was on the shore of Clevelantis and was about to be found by Elise. No, that already happened. Where was he though? This place didn't feel comforting at all. It made him shiver uncontrollably. Now he remembered. He remembered saving those kits from Steak Knife and then telling Kowalski to leave without him. He remembered being hypnotized by Steak Knife's gentle words and how the evil psychotic penguin collected everything and… Yes, it was all coming back to him now. Steak Knife promised to hurt him, but talked so sweetly about it. Then Steak Knife collected his blood in a jar and then knocked him out. How long was he out for? He was shivering uncontrollably and knew it was from his own fear.

He opened his eyes and the first thing he saw was Steak Knife standing right over him. He jumped back and cowered as far to the wall as he could. He was laying in a bunk just like the ones in the Well Deserved. It was oddly comfortable. Skipper knew he was cornered and just waited for Steak Knife to do something terrible. The evil penguin was holding…a blanket. He placed it on top of Skipper. He knew what this red blanket was. It was to wrap him and suffocate him or something.

"You looked cold," Steak Knife said casually. "So I brought you a blanket. You have been out for a while."

Skipper held the blanket close and stared right into those trusting green eyes and felt…safe somehow. Based on everything that happened, it was just impossible. Not even Kowalski could find slim enough odds. He tried to treasure this moment alive and he wondered what it was like to die.

"It's morning," he continued. "About time to wake up, yes? I did you the favor of giving you _my_ bunk. It is the least I can do for such a special visitor."

Skipper's fear episode was over and he leaned closer to Steak Knife with interest. Such nice manners… So he was confused. Why exactly was Steak Knife being so nice to him? It was so confusing, but he trusted Steak Knife.

"I hope you enjoy your stay on my ship, yes? Well, come to the deck with me. Something very special has to be done."

Skipper glanced at his own blood sitting in a jar like a wonderful nick-nack and snapped out of it. He found something to grab on to and held on as tight as he could.

"No, don't do that. Just come on. Resisting won't do you any good."

Skipper would not let go. Steak Knife was going to torture him or something. He grabbed on to the bunk railing and refused to let go.

"You're trying my patience," Steak Knife pointed out not so sweetly. "I just need you to do something for me."

"No."

"Show some confidence now. You are not the same private I knew yesterday. Look me in the eye when you refuse me."

Skipper looked away, but Steak Knife grabbed his head so he was forced to look into those green eyes. He blinked once, but was already under that trusting spell he could not ignore. He felt safe now and craved more of Steak Knife's words.

"Let's go now."

Skipper instinctively let go and followed Steak Knife to the deck of the Red October. He could feel the gentle vibrations of the water waves and hear the ocean. They were moving somewhere. He felt despair when he remembered that it wasn't moving when he was captured. He had no idea where they were going. That meant Kowalski and the Time Bandit could be miles away. What if they never saw each other again? The thought was almost too much to bear.

"See that smoke up there?" Steak Knife instructed and pointed towards the smoke stack. "Well, I think it is blocked up. Usually a lot more comes out of there than that and my ship is going oddly slow. I need you to clean that out for me. Just use the pick-ax that I put by the coal storage. I would do this myself, but I am still a little battered from last night."

Skipper was surprised to see that the huge knife he stabbed completely through his right wing didn't do much damage. There was just a little dried blood and Steak Knife favored it more than the other.

"While you do that, I'm going hunting. I expect this done when I get back."

Wait a minute… The sun was dawning on a brilliant idea. Steak Knife was_ leaving_ him on an enemy ship all alone with NO supervision. Maybe Steak Knife was dumber than he looked. Skipper could easily escape. He tried to look concentrated on how to clean the smoke stacks while Steak Knife dived into the water. He waited a few minutes just to make sure Steak Knife was really gone before planning.

_Okay, Skipper. Forget about the plans. You don't know when Steak Knife will be back so it is best to cut and run while you can. Find somewhere to stay I don't care where. _

So that was the first thing Skipper did. Without thinking twice, he plunged off the Red October and swam away into the ocean.

"I want to go home," Anneleise moaned. "I'm tired of walking."

"You said you were taking us home," Chase meowed assertively to Kowalski who was walking ahead, urging them to keep up.

"I know, _I know!"_ Kowalski yelled. "I'm trying to get you home. You just be glad we rescued you from certain death."

"Why didn't Skipper come with us?" Anne wondered and ran up beside Kowalski. "We just left him."

"I don't know," he answered and sighed. "I wish I knew."

Anne got bored and lagged behind with her brother. Kowalski was a lot more worried than he let on. He wanted to find Skipper more than anything. Why did he leave Skipper alone with Steak Knife? He felt like such a traitor. What did Skipper do when he left? He remembered that fierce look of aggression in his friend's eyes as he thrust that knife into his worst enemy. It was like he wasn't even Skipper anymore. He turned so ambitious. Now Skipper was gone. Kowalski knew he couldn't take this doing nothing, but he had to take care of Elise's kits first. He couldn't take them on the Time Bandit in case Skipper needed it to escape. So they were stuck on Atlantis hiding in the shadows.

Finally Kowalski saw something parked in the water next to a rocky slope. A boat! It was smaller than the Time Bandit, but that didn't matter. That could take the kits back to Clevelantis while he searched for Skipper. There was a Pole Cat hanging around by the boat and he didn't seem to be doing much, just playing with a golden compass that hung from his neck. Kowalski couldn't trust anyone in Atlantis. It might be with the Southern Raiders and turn them in like the traitor that Elise let stay with them. He couldn't just turn down this opportunity like the others though. He had a boat. He started to scribble down some options. He didn't notice the kits run up ahead and look down the slope at the boat.

"Look!" squealed Chase. "There's somebody down there."

Kowalski shot up suddenly as the kits shot down the slope and straight for the strange Pole Cat..

"Stop!" he called after them, trying not to be too loud. "Come back."

He pursued them, but was no match for their Pole Cat speed. They reached the strange Pole Cat and jumped all around him. He watched them with surprise and didn't react for a few seconds. Kowalski was so scared that he would do something threatening, but he was relieved when he seemed delighted by the kits.

"Hello there, little kits," he purred. "Heck, where did you come from?"

_Don't say Steak Knife. Don't say Steak Knife…_

"That cliff up there," Anne answered proudly.

Kowalski sighed with relief.

"Just the two of you alone out here," he meowed.

"No. Kowalski is with us. He is coming…"

All three Pole Cats stared up the slope. Kowalski figured there was no point in hiding now and tobogganed down the hill towards the Pole Cats.

"A Doodlepopper! What you two buggers doing with a Doodlepopper?"

"I'm a penguin," Kowalski replied and brushed the dirt off his feathers. "Not a Doodlepopper. Say, is this your boat?"

"I recon it is," The Pole Cat said. "Sure a nice un."

"Do you know where Clevelantis is?"

"Oh, I get it, Doodlepopper!" He said so loudly that Kowalski flinched. "You three want a lift somewhere. You three ain't no different than any others around here."

"That's a double negative, "he pointed out.

The Pole Cat, who wasn't very bright, cocked his head. "A what?"

"Nevermind. Anyway, we really need a ride to Clevelantis."

"Sure thing," he agreed. Kowalski was so happy until he said, "What you got on you?"

Kowalski looked down at himself, but he had nothing the Pole Cat would consider valuable and neither did the kits. He had to use his abnormally intelligent brain to get out of this one. He glanced at the sand and rocks and trees and tried to think up something. He ran over and picked up a leaf and stabbed it through a stick. The Pole Cat wasn't amused.

"You're kidding, right?" he asked boredly.

"Well…No, I'm not," he replied and then though up a good lie. He was trying to scam this Pole Cat, but it was for survival so it was essential. "This is a seventeenth century fly swatter. Keep those flies away especially on hot days. They are very valuable."

"Really? He purred and picked it up. He swished it around like it was suddenly of an amazing value.

"It sure is. I…make them for a living," he lied again. "They are just so rare, but I think it might be worth a trip to Clevelantis, right?"

"Wow, I've been using these things wrong," he meowed. "If you say so, I will take you guys to Clevelantis. Nice doing business with ya."

"I'm staying," he decided, despite the fact that he really wanted to go with them. "The kits will tell you where to let them off."

"See you around then. I can treasure this for a long time yet. Along with my special compass of course."

The Pole Cat purred and looked down at the compass hanging from his neck. Kowalski didn't pay much attention to it until the Pole Cat turned around and the sunlight struck it. It flashed the most beautiful shade of gold that was so familiar. Using only instinct, he leaped on front of the Pole Cat and held the compass in his wings and just stared at it.

"Hey," the Pole Cat warned. "Off my compass. Get your own."

"I…Where did you get this?" he demanded.

"What's it to you?"

"I need to know," Kowalski replied desperately and begged like there was no tomorrow.

"I got it as a reward for fixing up a ship," he answered and seemed surprised to see Kowalski so up in his face about it. "A badly wrecked ship landed here a long time ago and I fixed it up. Some Doodlepoppers just like you rewarded me with this and then set off on their way. I pride myself on my ability to fix ships-"

"What was the name of the ship?" Kowalski shrieked and was practically groveling at the paws of the golden Pole Cat. "Please tell me!"

"Oh, dang. I forgot."

"NO!" Kowalski screamed and then was _literally_ groveling at its paws. Even the kits gathered with interest. None of them understood why he was so upset. The Pole Cat didn't understand that he was in possession of a very valuable compass. He would recognize that anywhere from its golden finish and cracked front. It was TJ's compass! That meant only one thing, but he had to make sure.

"Gosh, the name don't matter, Doodlepopper."

"Try to remember. REMEMBER!"

He was completely out of control. He jumped out to attack the Pole Cat while he was staring at the ocean, but the kits pulled him back and luckily, the cat didn't notice.

"What are you doing?" Anne wailed. "You're scaring me!"

Kowalski pushed them off roughly and returned to the paws of the Pole Cat. "Was it a huge freight ship?" he pressed. "A navy blue freight ship that was bombed near the stern?"

"Why…Yes. Yes it was," he meowed surely. "…I remember now! It was called the Well Disceased."

"You mean the Well Deserved!" Kowalski was so happy that he was jittering like crazy. How could this be? It had been five months since the shipwreck and he accepted the fact that he would never see the Well Deserved or his team ever again. All this time they were only about an hour away on the coast of Atlantis. They must of washed up here like they washed up at Clevelantis. "You fixed the ship so it could sail again?"

"Took a while, but I sure did. They left this old place…a few days ago."

"Where were they heading?"

"I don't know. They didn't tell me. I didn't really care anyway though. I'm more interested in how that old red ship is doing. HA! I sure showed him, that old Doodlepopper."

"You fixed the Red October?" Kowalski said calmly and then began to scribble notes down. "And do you know who that belongs to?"

"Some jerk named Steak Knife," he growled with memory. "Never heard of hum, but he offered to pay me with ANIMAL PELTS! That whole rust bucket was full of them so I didn't fix that old thing. I dumped a bunch of tar down the smoke stack. That ship ain't going fast now I bet."

Kowalski couldn't believe his good fortune. He had a pretty good chance of finding his old team and the Well Deserved. He could be a private again! Also, Skipper had to be on that ship with Steak Knife, even though that was a terrible prediction. It had to be true. With the Red October plugged up, the Well Deserved could catch Steak Knife in no time. All of this would just be a terrible nightmare.

They prepared to take off. The kits were fascinated by the boat. They were very excited to get back home to Elise.

"I thought we would never go home," purred Anne. "I really hated that evil penguin."

"Well, I wasn't scared," Chase bragged, a definite lie.

They started to walk on the boat, but stopped when they realized Kowalski wasn't following them.

"Come on, Kowalski," meowed Anneleise.

Kowalski was dreading this moment, but now it was here. He tried to look into their pleading and innocent eyes and remain confident. He sighed and then said "I am not coming with you."

They were shocked by the news. "Why?" they wailed.

"Oh…" Kowalski stopped when the kits immediately hugged him like they would never let him go. "You didn't think I would stay with you forever, did you?"

"We did," cried Anne. "Why are you leaving us?"

"Skipper and I have to serve our country," he explained. "We are soldiers, remember? We have to keep the world safe for kits like you. We need to keep villains like Steak Knife under control."

"Be safe," Anne meowed bravely. "I hope you catch him. He pulled my tail."

"Will we ever see you again?" whined Chase.

"No," he answered and stared out over the ocean. "You probably won't. Just promise me something. Always do the right thing."

They were too young to really understand what he meant and they didn't think of last night. "Sure," they answered. "We will."

Kowalski never thought saying good-bye could be so hard. He watched the kits step on to the boat and the other Pole Cat followed. The ship slowly began to pull away. Kowalski waved to them, wondering if he ever would see them again. This was how Elise probably felt when her foster kits left like this. He left behind his life of happiness, but he knew he did the right thing.


	14. Steak Knife's Weakness

Chapter 2- Steak Knife's Weakness

(This story may contain material that is disturbing to some viewers. Viewer discretion is advised.)

"This…blasted…tar!" With every pause Steak Knife hacked at the tar blocking up the smoke stack. It was doing, dare I say it, a crud of good. The tar was so hard that not even he could remove it. When he ordered Skipper to do this, he actually expected it to be full of access build-up, not solid tar. He was so mad that he was taking it all out on the tar. The whole insides were caked with it and his ship wouldn't go fast at all, only as fast as a little fishing boat, not a war ship.

Steak Knife struck the pick-ax at the tar so hard that it broke free and fell to the bottom. A second afterward a wave of black smoke shot out from the top and blew all over him, turning him blacker. He growled with rage and kept working.

Skipper's plan didn't work out that well. He left the Red October and then realized that he shouldn't have underestimated Steak Knife. They were in the middle of nowhere so he had to turn back before drowning. He got back and tried to get working before Steak Knife got back and he pulled it off. So much for escaping. Now the two of them were picking tar out of the smoke stack. He wasn't sure how tar got in there. Then again, nothing would surprise him. This ship was a rust bucket. It was so old that every scrap on it was rusted and old. It was a war ship probably from centuries ago. He got plenty of time to explore the ship and it was so old fashioned. Steak Knife didn't own anything that presented the now. There were a lot of better ships out there and he wondered why Steak Knife still had this old scrap heap. Certainly this tar was its killing bite. Since he was on the bottom and Steak Knife was on the top, a safe distance away, he decided to ask.

"Hey!" he called. "We have been at this for hours! Why don't you just get a better ship?"

"NEVER!" Steak Knife growled. "Getting rid of the Red October would be like throwing away family!"

Skipper was trying to learn as much as he could about this strange villain and maybe talking about this ship could get Steak Knife to open up more on his personal and sensitive side.

"But it's just a ship!" he continued. "Why does it matter?"

"This ship has been in my family tree for five generations. This ship was considered old when it bombed the German ships in World War I. I will never abandon it."

This was interesting. Steak Knife was so hateful, yet he did like something: a ship. Apparently he was so attached to this ship probably because he had no one else to care about. What a terrible existence.

"So why is there tar in your ship?" Skipper asked curiously.

"Don't ask," Steak Knife growled and stuck down the ax again. Some tar fell down and Skipper quickly cleared it away. So that was something. He had to learn more though.

"Skipper, turn the ship around."

Skipper wasn't sure if he heard that right. Steak Knife wanted_ him_ to steer a ship? That couldn't possibly be right.

"But that's the way we came!" he protested. "And I don't know how!"

"Just pull down the levers to stop the propellers and then turn the wheel."

Skipper went to the controls without question. He was so tired of this and wanted to go home already. It had been one night and almost one day on this ship. Where on earth was Kowalski? Was Kowalski out looking for him? Skipper had full faith that he was. That was why he pretended to pick at the tar even though he wasn't really helping. This dilemma caused their traveling to slow down dramatically so even s small fishing boat like the Time Bandit could catch it. A fishing boat couldn't catch a war ship without lots of help. This was making things even better. For some unknown reason, they were going back the way they came, to the direction of Atlantis even though they were hours away from there. He didn't question it and turned the ship back south.

Steak Knife could sense Skipper's surprise when he ordered the command to turn the ship around. He clearly didn't understand why he was going back to Atlantis. He was smart not to question it though. Steak Knife really wished he would of saw this tar sooner before it dried. Almost the whole way back he picked it out until he got about half of it and the ship shot out more smoke with approval. At least his precious ship was okay. He couldn't believe that Skipper suggested throwing away the Red October like it was nothing at all. That was pure treason. Now he just stood on top of the smoke stack and stared at the water as the ship brushed it aside, making waves. He could sense Atlantis getting nearer and they were getting there. He had unfinished business to do there and took until late that day for him to realize it. It was getting dark and he hadn't slept decently in days or ate a single bite all day. He felt as strong as ever though because he had a mission to do that mattered more than anything to him and it had to be done.

The Red October drifted into shallower waters until the bottom scraped the ground, making the ship stop dramatically. Skipper quickly grabbed on to the mast as he was almost thrown forward. The ship stopped dramatically until it stopped about a quarter mile from the shore. Skipper's muscles tensed and he felt sick. This was the moment he had waited two whole hours for. They were back at Atlantis. Clevelantis was so close that he could feel the familiar winds of home just coming to lead him there. They were so close and now he had an option to run for it. He had to bolt as soon as he could and say good-bye to Steak Knife and the rust bucket Red October. He ran to the deck and was about to jump off when Steak Knife quickly grabbed him.

"Going somewhere, yes?" he said nicely. "I can see you want to get on land, but I think we will have to put that off a while, yes? I have something to do here and I don't think you should come with me."

Skipper just silently nodded and stood still as a statue.

"You certainly wouldn't leave my ship when I'm gone, would you?" he asked coolly. "Would you try to leave me here?"

"I…yes," Skipper whimpered.

"I like honesty. It says a lot about someone. I am being honest too when I say you are not leaving this ship when I'm gone."

Skipper stared into Steak Knife's green eyes and the inside freedom fire to escape was gone. He no longer wanted to leave the ship and escape for some reason. All he wanted to do was do whatever made Steak Knife happy. He tried to resist, but it was an unstoppable force.

"Stay here until I return," he instructed. "You will not be triggered with thoughts of escape. Instead, you will only think about how much of a favor you are doing me by not coming along. You are a brave little soldier, but you don't want to come with me. You want to stay on my ship." Skipper was still transfixed and didn't even blink. "I know you wouldn't lie to me so I will ask you again. Will you leave my ship when I'm gone?"

Skipper tried to think about it. His heart rate quickened when he thought of pleasing Steak Knife. He tried to think of Kowalski out there looking for him, but for some reason he just didn't care. Every thought he thought about background knowledge was so fuzzy he couldn't even consider it. The only way out of this fuzzy vision was to stop staring at the ground and seek the answers in Steak Knife's eyes and that was exactly what he did.

"I'll stay," he promised.

Without even thinking, he saluted Steak Knife and walked right inside the ship like a windup toy. Steak Knife smiled slyly to himself and then disappeared down the ladder. Skipper didn't even notice that one old sword from the collection was missing.

Back in the ship, Skipper didn't know what to do. He lied down in bed for half an hour before he got stir crazy and had to move around. He realized that he never explored the ship before and certainly Steak Knife wouldn't mind if her took a look around. He went out into the hallway and just stared at the things on the wall. There were the heads of animals he had never seen before all nicely spaced out. He wondered exactly why Steak Knife killed them all and just moved on. He never explored the inside of the ship before. He had only been in the hallway and the bedroom. He turned right instead of left and headed to a door. He went inside and saw a very strange room that just made him stare. It was worse than everything on the ship put together. There were taxidermy animals everywhere, two giant dog-like things guarding the entrance. They looked so real that he reached out and touched one of their stone cold heads. Underneath their fur was just a bunch of hard stuff. All those dead animals just stared at him like he was trespassing into a terrible place. It was terrible.

What really caught his interest was the wooden animals in the back that Steak Knife was still in progress with. There were wood chips all over the floor so he checked it out. It was a wooden carving of an animal. It looked like a Pole Cat so far even though it was roughly done. He could just make out its figure in the splintery wood. There was a collection of knives lined up by it that all had wood chips on it. Steak Knife carved this? It was just so nice. He stared at its head and saw a blue background that wasn't part of it. He looked up and saw the most beautiful bird be had ever seen on the wall. He slowly walked away from the wooden Pole Cat and stared at the bird. It was in mid-flight and had striking dark blue feathers. Its wings were so huge that it could carry the bird gracefully off the ground without a problem. It had tail feathers that were longer than itself and were a variety of colors: Green, purple, violet, green, oranges, yellows, and pinks. He touched it and they were so soft. He petted the bird and kept feeling its soft feathers under his wings. He sensed a strong feeling of betrayal and now he wondered exactly what he was doing here. Steak Knife unfairly killed this beautiful animal just to hang it on the wall. Now it was all coming back. Skipper stayed here only because Steak Knife wanted him too. This time when he thought of Kowalski and the others and this terrible place he wanted to _leave._ He felt like slapping himself for being so stupid. Here was his golden opportunity to escape and he wasted it. It took a good look at this rainbow bird to realize that he was in danger and had to leave. He had to go now.

Then a shadow appeared over the bird be was looking at and his spine chilled. Steak Knife had returned. He was frozen in place. He didn't want to show Steak Knife that he was suddenly afraid. He could also sense a cold feeling in the air.

The feeling of death.

Ever so slowly, Skipper slowly turned around and saw Steak Knife had returned and all of his white feathers were slicked down with red. His eyes trailed down to what he brought home and saw the bloody limp body of a golden spotted Pole Cat.

Steak Knife usually loved to see fear more than anything, but when Skipper gasped and threw his back to the wall, blue eyes glared with fear, he walked right on past dragging his prize. The Pole Cat put up a big fight, but this was nothing compared to other animals that he took on. He was so tired that he felt like collapsing and he limped slightly from where the Pole Cat scratched him. That was nothing though. Just three more memories to add to his collection of permanent memories. He put down the Pole Cat and spread out its body flat on the floor. Its eyes were glazed with fury and its fangs were bared. Its body was just beginning to turn cold. Now the Pole Cat got what it deserved for tarring his ship.

Steak Knife seemed very distracted with the Pole Cat so Skipper thought now would be best to run away as fast as he could. Maybe he could get away. This was just too horrible. He could have been half way to Clevelantis by now, but now it wasn't olive green eyes that kept him in place. It was the furious amber eyes of the Pole Cat. Something seemed familiar about that cat though even though he never met it. He took a step closer and then stopped. Steak Knife was…_talking_ to it? He strained to listen and then heard that he was definitely talking to the cat while stroking its head. He couldn't hear any exact words though. He felt more secure to see how distracted and troubled Steak Knife was so he dropped down beside the Pole Cat and touched its soft fur.

"You're in my room, yes?" Steak Knife asked dully without looking up. "I know why too. You are looking at my things and wondering why I have all these things."

"…It was such a beautiful creature," Skipper said and stroked the golden cat. "What I don't understand is why. We came all the way back here just so you can kill this cat. Do you know it?"

"Of course I do. This was the Pole Cat that put tar all over my ship," he answered more aggressively. "And now I got my revenge…"

They said nothing for a while. Skipper tensed up, ready to run to the door if he was forced out. Steak Knife pulled the Pole Cat on to the table that the wooden Pole Cat was on. Now he understood what it was for. It was the taxidermy body of the Pole Cat that he was making. It must of taken days to do this and Steak Knife must of planned to get revenge on that particular Pole Cat for a long time. Steak Knife picked up a smaller knife and started to carve around the wooden head to make the ears more detailed.

"Why is this ship covered in so many…items?" Skipper wondered and came a little closer. "I mean, you have pelts and other things from animals all over."

"I need them. Everyone has a hobby that passes the time…Keeps them entertained, yes? And yours is crowding my work space."

"This isn't a hobby. It's like an obsession. I mean, I used to collect snowflakes. Every time I found a cool one I would take it home, but they weren't my life. I mean, don't you think it is a little strange to come all this way just for a Pole Cat. I don't mean this in any offense, but why do you need them?"

"I will not let anyone get away offending me," he replied fiercely and almost snipped the ear off. He realized how worked up he was getting over one conversation. It was very unlike him so he calmed down again with breathing exercises. "Every possession I have from my animals is a memory so I can always remember what they did to insult or assault me. Memories are about the only thing I can rely on these days."

"I see," Skipper said. "Well, I think I am starting to understand you more. I think you love your ship so much because it is the only thing to feel close to. You don't have any friends or anyone that didn't want to attack you."

Steak Knife was trembling so much that he had to stop carving before he messed up everything. Skipper was absolutely right. As much has he wanted to deny it, that was why he never got a new ship and he kept the pelts, blood, fangs, or claws of every animals that ever did anything bad to him. It was almost too much to control and knowing these words came from Skipper made him want to do something terrible. He found comfort by imagining himself attacking Skipper. The thought seemed to be the only way out of this and he clutched the knife he was holding tightly. He had to stop himself before he actually did it though. He quickly put down the knife and backed away from the table. He went as far away from Skipper as possible and put the table between them.

"What's wrong?" Skipper asked fearfully.

"It's just what you said right then," he answered honestly. "And you're right. You are the only living thing that has actually saw things from my point of view instead of seeing me by what I do."

Skipper was starting to feel hopeful and that maybe he would get out of this alive. This was a huge breakthrough for Steak Knife to tell him this. Maybe he wouldn't end up dying after all. Anyway, he never did anything to make Steak Knife vengeful.

"I never did anything, so why are you keeping me here?" he wondered.

"Because you are part of TJ's military," Steak Knife pointed out. "I can't have you going anywhere for special reasons. Believe me, I don't want to do anything to you, but TJ owes me something. I need you for that. I am taking you to the Andes mountains."

"W-why? What am I getting you?"

"Military plans," he answered darkly. "So I can get through with my plan without any problems, yes? If I don't get them, then we will have to do things the hard way. I made something for you."

Skipper watched curiously as Steak Knife rummaged among the piles of junk. He picked up a green spiky pine tree something and held it up. Skipper jumped back and stared at it with horror. What he was holding was far worse than the dead Pole Cat laying limply on the table. It was a wreath with a giant red bow tied neatly at the top. Red bow-tied wreaths were given to soldiers when they died.

Steak Knife was going to kill him when they reached their destination. What if Steak Knife didn't get the military plans? He would be just another pelt on the ship.


	15. Surviving The Andes

Chapter 3- Surviving the Andes

A few days had passed since Kowalski left the kits forever. He was on his way to who knows where in the Time Bandit. He never knew that Pole Cat could have such valuable information. He heard that the Well Deserved and the team he trained with almost his whole life was sailing the ocean and heading north. Maybe they were tracking down Skipper and Steak Knife. That was their mission for many months so they wouldn't give it up now. The Well Deserved was a freight ship and the possibility of catching it was 67.825 to one, but he had to try. It was a screwball idea, but he was sailing north in search of them in a fishing boat and no sense of where he was.

Kowalski stared ahead and thought about how far land was away. Two whole days of sailing were making him very impatient. The boat traveled about twelve miles per hour on an average and he went for 52 straight hours. He was on day _three._

"You will probably catch them," he assured himself. There was no one else to talk to. "The Well Deserved drop anchor every night and they sleep for an average of seven to eight hours a night and I have been going on for days. They also go about twice as fast as me so… I don't know!"

Kowalski saw something out of the corner of his eye and turned to look. There was a little dot on the horizon. What on earth was it? It reminded him of that thing he saw just before the Well Deserved was bombed. It was…a ship! That was a pretty big dot…It had to be the Well Deserved! Without thinking he put the boat as fast as it would go and headed towards the ship. After all this time he would reunite with his team. What would they say when they saw him? It took minutes, but he finally was getting a little closer. He could just make out the ship's smoke stacks and other details. That was it. It was getting closer.

They were still going without stopping. Maybe they didn't see him down there. He never looked for a horn on the Time Bandit, but he needed one now more than ever. He was so close that he could read the Well Deserved label, but now that he intercepted them, it was getting away quickly. Finally he saw a bell. He grabbed the string and hung from it so his weight made the bell ring so loud that it pierced the air. He kept ringing it until the propellers of the huge freight ship slowed down. It slowed down dramatically until he pulled along side it. The boat was so small next to the ship that it looked like a little bath toy next to the ship. He ran to the deck so they would see him. Finally, he saw someone peer over the rail. He would recognize that one-eyed stare from anywhere. Lieutenant Austin looked down at him and they just stared at each other for a while. Next to him appeared the dark blue and white penguin, TJ. This was too great. He finally made it! He just watched them impatiently and waited for them to say something.

"It appears to be a local," TJ said to Austin. "We must be near land."

"I don't know. Should we ask it for directions or something?" Austin pressed.

"Not sure. I think it was flagging us down. Perhaps we should…"

Kowalski wouldn't believe it. He imagined this reunion in his head and imagined both of them being so happy to see him. Instead they didn't even know who he was.

"Guys ,it's me!" he called. "Kowalski!"

They looked at each other like they never heard that name before in their lives. Kowalski had to look closer just to make sure they were the right penguins. Yes, they definitely were. He waved at them and they still seemed confused. Well, there was only one other way for them to know for sure. He quickly pulled out a his notebook and started to write down a math problem.

"Kowalski!" TJ exclaimed. "It is Kowalski! Secure that boat."

TJ shoved Austin away to get some rope. He returned back and both of them tried to unravel the rope. Then it slowly inched down so Kowalski could grab it. He snatched it up and tied a huge giant knot on the railing. Then he pounced on the rope and climbed up the side of the Well Deserved. The moment he reached the top he was practically eaten alive by TJ and Austin.

"Kowalski, you came back!" TJ cheered. "We thought we would never see you again. It has been about half a year!"

"I thought I wouldn't see you again either," he said brightly. "Well, if there is 30 to 31 days per month then multiply it…"

"Yep, that's Kowalski alright," Austin added. "So, where have you been all this time?"

"Clevelantis! I met this Pole Cat a few days ago that said he fixed the Well Deserved. So I went after you guys."

"Great. So…" Kowalski searched the deck for the others. "Where is everybody?"

"Austin and TJ exchanged glances before TJ said, "We really don't know. We haven't seen them since the shipwreck. It's just the three of us. I assume you don't know where Skipper is."

"I have some very important news to tell you," he answered dramatically.

Kowalski like being the center of attention of such an important story. He started with the beginning about being found by Elise and stayed with her family. He made sure to include that he was NOT off duty and trained that whole time. Then he skipped the happy life and went all the way to the war with Clevelantis. Things started getting exciting when he reached the rising action of the story. This was the part he couldn't wait to say.

"Did you guys find out anything about the Southern Raiders?" he asked before continuing.

"Um…Unfortunately, we have not. It has been so long since we last saw them and we have no idea where they are."

"I do," he replied. "Elise came back one day and gave us a personal note. It was written by Steak Knife himself and he was threatening us to go to the Northern entrance of Atlantis and give him military plans that tell where all the military agents are. We of course didn't know where, so-"

"Wait a minute." TJ shook him by the shoulders. 'YOU got a letter from Steak Knife. He was in Atlantis all that time?"

"Yes. We weren't going to go, but we had to. While we thought up a plan, Steak Knife stole Elise's kits and brought them to Atlantis so we had to go. We took this here fishing boat to Atlantis and we found the Red October parked there. We went on a mission and went in the ship to save them. Apparently, there is only one Southern Raider. I am not sure why, but only Steak Knife was there. We never found out why. We got there at midnight right when he was about to execute the kits with broad swords. It was so terrifying."

"Is the ship still covered in pelts?" TJ wondered.

"Yes. It was terrible. I will not lie, Skipper deserves all the credit. We were hanging from the lights up above and I was too scared to do anything. Steak Knife almost…did it but Skipper pinned him to the wall with a knife and then I took the kits away. I couldn't get Skipper to follow me. He was going to…do something terrible and he told me I shouldn't be in the room. So I left with the kits and that was the last time we ever saw each other."

They stared at Kowalski, frozen in place. They seemed like they couldn't believe that Skipper, who was only a private for one day, could do all that.

"So what do you think happened to them?" TJ pressed.

"I think something terrible happened to Skipper. I met that Pole Cat that fixed the Well Deserved and he said that he was supposed to fix the Red October. Instead, he filled it with tar so I don't know where they are now."

"Hmm…" TJ thought carefully. "Well, I think that we should locate this _Red October_ and see exactly where it is. Say, Kowalski, can you drive a ship A ship like the Well Deserved perhaps?"

"You what?" he shrieked. "I CAN'T DRIVE A SHIP! Just get Dave to…" Right. NO more Dave. "Fine, I will try. Where are we going?"

"If Steak Knife did get out of that situation, he is heading north and that means he will be at the Andes mountains. We need to head there and then see how things are. We are almost there."

It felt nice to be back with the crew. Kowalski felt like he was truly at home again. Every moment there though he questioned himself if he was doing the right thing. He could of just simply stayed at Clevelantis and never live another worry for the rest of his life, but it just wasn't a family without Skipper. Now his chance of finding them were even greater with a ship and a crew. Being very intelligent, he figured out how to control the ship by writing down notes and learning from memory. He wondered how TJ and Austin even survived without Dave. They knew about nothing when it came to driving it. Kowalski managed to get it running good.

Finally, he could see land coming into view. The first thing he saw was mountains. Oh NO! They went backwards and were now back at Atlantis. How could that be? He checked the compass built in the ship and it confirmed that they were going north. This couldn't be Atlantis or else they would be going south. This was a new landmark. He couldn't believe he made it this far in just a fishing boat. According to the world map on the wall, Atlantis was probably somewhere halfway between Antarctica and South America. This must be South America.

"All we have to do it wait," TJ said when Kowalski confirmed their location. "If Steak Knife is coming, we will meet him here."

Days passed on the Red October and every day was like a burden. Skipper always thought dying would be scary, but it was even worse when he knew exactly how close he was to it. The waiting, thinking about death, was worse than any torture Steak Knife could do to him. He spent no time sleeping or doing anything besides standing on the bow of the ship and looking ahead. He did that all day for three days, eating nothing and sleeping not at all. Every minute was torture. Now that they were nearing land, Steak Knife watched him constantly so he couldn't get away. Life was ending. He looked down at the water and thought about how at least he had a good life even though it was a short one.

"Well, Skipper, there they are," Steak Knife introduced and pointed to the mountains appearing on the horizon. "They are just beautiful, yes?"

Skipper didn't answer. He just stared at the mountains expressionless. He was paralyzed with fear, but after staring at awaiting death for so long he just didn't have the energy to freak out. At least Steak Knife didn't get the pleasure of scaring him anymore.

They got closer and closer until the Andes were so detailed that he could truly see them. They weren't like the mountains bordering Atlantis. They were so tall that they reached into the sky and snow covered them. It was warmer this far up north, but the mountain peaks were so high up they were cold. NO wonder there was a military base here. He wasn't the type that gave up that easily so he thought on the positive side. Maybe they would hike right into a military base and he would be rescued. Skipper was pretty sure Kowalski couldn't help even if he did make it here.

_Skipper!_

Kowalski was so relieved when he saw Skipper step off of the Red October. All those days not knowing if he was alive or not were stressful and now he knew Skipper as alive. He saw Skipper mope along, carrying a whole load of dynamite. He was staring at the ground and lagging behind Steak Knife. He obviously thought there was no help left in the world for him. Kowalski almost jumped out of his hiding spot, but TJ yanked him down and slapped him.

"You're going to give us away, soldier," hissed TJ. "We can't expose ourselves until we know exactly what Steak Knife is doing."

The three of them were watching from a cliff behind a huge rock. They were going to rescue Skipper alright. All of them wondered why they were carrying dynamite. They trekked higher and higher up the mountain. The three of them dived down and huddled there silently as Steak Knife got closer. Kowalski trembled with the anxiety of being discovered. Steak Knife stopped for a moment, but moved on thinking it was nothing. Then they could hear the slow and depressed footsteps of Skipper. Kowalski knew that by now Steak Knife had to be farther up ahead. He had to tell Skipper about their escape plan. He couldn't stand to see his brave and strong-willed best friend in such a state. TJ and Austin were too distracted to watch him so be peaked out from behind the rock.

"Skipper," he whispered.

Skipper stopped in place and turned around suddenly. He looked overwhelmed to see Kowalski standing up there, but he didn't say anything.

"Are you going to rescue me?" Skipper asked faintly. "You have to. Steak Knife is going to blow up the whole Andes and me." He looked down at the bombs he was carrying with despair.

"Follow Steak Knife," Kowalski said and disappeared behind the rock. "TJ and Austin are with me. We are going to-"

"Falling behind, yes?" Steak Knife called and stopped. "It's best just to keep up and accept your fate with dignity." Skipper quickly tried to look all depressed and returned to Steak Knife. "It is hard to accept death when it awaits, but it is better to accept things as they are and know that nothing will change that."

Skipper said nothing. He glanced back at the rock and could see Kowalski glancing out. He tried to go at a continuing moping pace. How on earth did Kowalski find TJ and Austin? That was like a hallucination or something. They had been gone so long and now they arrived on his darkest hour. He knew for sure that Steak Knife didn't stand a chance against the four of them. Things could finally return to normal.

Steak Knife finally took Skipper to the near top of a mountain before stopping by a cave entrance. Skipper looked down at the other snowy mountains and the foggy air. Hopefully that wouldn't be his last sight. Steak Knife led the way inside. It was just a small cave miles away from the military base, but these bombs were powerful enough to wipe out everything. Steak Knife grabbed Skipper's wreath from the bombs he was carrying and looked it over.

"Unfortunately, I really don't think your team will rescue you so late in time," he pointed out. "Anyway, we can't change fate, yes? Now, these bombs will not destroy the military base for a while. Only one will go off. This little dandy right here actually."

Steak Knife pushed Skipper to the ground and then made him hold two red sticks wrapped in wires. It was so dangerous that he was shaking just to hold it.

"If you blow this up, won't the others go off too?" He tried another desperate attempt to save himself.

"Nope. Only I can set off the bombs at its main power source. What you don't know is I am putting bomb storages everywhere I go. This is just one of the many. When the time is right, I will let them off. That little bomb your holding will go off will go off in…" He pressed a combination of buttons and then pressed enter. To Skipper's horror, a clock appeared on it. Thirty minutes and it was going down by the second. Where were Kowalski and the rescue party? In only half an hour he would be blown off the face of the earth.

There was a shadow outside and then there was a flash of blue and white. Skipper dropped the bomb and pressed himself against the wall. TJ bowled into Steak Knife's side and threw him to the ground. Steak Knife rolled up backwards and tossed off TJ who just bounced off the wall and returned. Steak Knife just rolled to the side and pounced on TJ in the air. Skipper silently cheered for TJ along with the others who stood there, wondering if they should interfere.

TJ was doing all the attacks while Steak Knife would just wait and watch. He would jump away lightly and pummel TJ in his landings until he was a little light headed. He was about to jump on the unsuspecting TJ, but Austin and Kowalski sprang to the aid of their leader. Steak Knife was a little overwhelmed and waited for them to attack. Austin and TJ stood by each other and attacked from two different sides. Steak Knife dodged Austin, but was intercepted by TJ. He squirmed and wriggled and managed to loosen himself, but before he could escape he was attacked by the privates. Skipper needed this revenge, even if he was probably no match for Steak Knife. He effortlessly threw off Kowalski and Skipper and then tobogganed to the entrance to think. He looked at the four of them in turn and sized up the competition. He knew that he couldn't take on the four of them without serious injuries or the failure of all his plans….But, there was another way to get rid of them. Why didn't he think of it before? He glanced up at the cave entrance and then had an idea.

Skipper thought for sure Steak Knife was going to retreat, but he didn't. He just stood there like he had a master plan and then slouched against the wall.

'It's amazing how fate controls itself," he said casually and glanced straight at Skipper. "You think one thing might happen and then it just changes. The tables have turned."

"You're not talking yourself out of this one," Skipper threatened.

'Definitely not," TJ agreed.

"I don't plan to. My plans are working better than I thought. When you die, just remember, especially you, Skipper. Breathe deeply and relax. Think about your approaching death and accept it."

Then Steak Knife raised his left wing and looked at them evily.

"What are you doing?" TJ demanded, frozen by fear.

Then Steak Knife tapped under the loose boulder holding up the entrance and waved farewell to the four of them. The ground began to rumble and the entrance began to shake. Steak Knife turned around and disappeared down the mountain. All of a sudden rocks rained like rain down from the entrance. The rocks piled on top of each other and in a split second, the whole thing was buried in rocks and snow. When the avalanche stopped, they all realized that death was nearer than they thought.

The bomb would go off in twenty five minutes and they were trapped in a cave with no way out.


End file.
